NEW YORK, New York – Foreign-born workers are 25.2 percent more likely to work weekends than U.S.-born workers. That’s according to a new study by the organization New American Economy. The group includes 500 mayors and business leaders who support immigration reform.
“Immigration helps keep the lights on,” said John Feinblatt, President of New American Economy. “The American economy never sleeps, and around the clock, immigrants play a significant role in boosting productivity and economic output.”
According to the study, in 2015 immigrants were 15.6 percent more likely to work unusual hours than similar U.S.-born workers. The study found the same is true regardless of the type of work be it high-skilled or low-skilled labor.
The study found that some industries in particular see a high number of immigrants working weekends and odd hours. More than 20 percent of foreign born workers in both healthcare and education are likely to work weekends.
Researchers found the reason behind this is because they found U.S.-born workers and foreign-born workers are often not competing for the same types of jobs. U.S.-born workers, the study found, typically work in communication-heavy jobs such as cashiers or wait staff. Immigrants, on the other hand, are more likely to be working as janitors, entry-level agriculture workers, or construction laborers.
The New American Economy hopes the information provided in the study helps lawmakers as they try to reform immigration policy.
“These findings have important implications for policymakers as they attempt to create immigration policy that helps grow the economy. This research suggests that a richer definition of what workers are needed may be necessary to fully achieve that goal—one that takes into account not only the skills an immigrant may contribute to our economy, but also the hours they are able to work as well.”