From Tech to Traditions: The Influence of Foreign-born workers on U.S. Jobs

By Mariano Mamertino and Gad Levanon

Introduction

The diversity that foreign-born workers bring to the U.S. labor market is a tremendous asset, enriching the economy with a vast array of skills, perspectives, and expertise. Workers from different parts of the world often come with unique talents honed in their home countries, where traditions in specific industries, professions, or trades are deeply rooted. Whether it's software developers from India, acupuncturists from China, roofers from Mexico, cooks from Italy, floral designers from Japan, or film directors from Australia, these individuals contribute to the U.S. labor market by infusing it with specialized skills, knowledge, services, and products.

The wealth of experiences and knowledge they bring comes into full focus when we look at the types of occupations immigrants from different countries tend to cluster in when they make the U.S. their home. This cultural and professional diversity not only fills critical gaps but also supports a range of industries and sectors that make American cities stand out for the blend of diverse services, experiences, and goods they offer—not to mention the delicious melting pot of cuisines. Using a data-driven approach, we want to highlight the roles that make all this possible.

Sources and methodology

To identify the jobs foreign-born workers are more likely to do, we used the Census’s American Community Survey (ACS), which asks respondents about their employment status, occupation, and birthplace, among many other topics.

We analyzed data on all workers in the U.S., focusing on their countries of birth. This enabled us to calculate the foreign-born occupation quotient, the key metric in this article, which represents the ratio of workers born in each country who work in a specific occupation compared with the share of U.S.-born workers in the same occupation. A higher quotient indicates that foreign-born workers are more likely to be employed in that occupation relative to their U.S.-born counterparts.

Foreign-born workers find themselves in a range of occupations that are often, albeit not always, overlooked by American-born people. Let’s take a closer look.

Delicious food and a buzzing restaurant scene

Asian-born chefs and cooks are the undisputed champions of the U.S.'s vibrant food scene. Let’s start with Chinese cuisine, a staple of global culinary culture. Its presence in the U.S. is bolstered by Chinese immigrants working as chefs, head cooks, and food service workers. Compared with the average U.S.-born worker, Chinese-born ones are nine times more likely to work as chefs and head cooks.

Similarly, immigrants hailing from Thailand and Indonesia are between ten and eleven times more likely than U.S.-born folks to be employed as chefs, highlighting the influence of Southeast Asian cuisine on the U.S. culinary arts. Japan and Korea come next. Workers from those countries are about four and five times more likely than the average American to make the preparation of delicious food their main activity.

A relatively small country that has an outsized influence on the U.S. food scene is Greece. The famous Greek food and hospitality can be experienced in countless Greek diners and restaurants across the country, also thanks to the fact that Greek-born workers are almost seven times more likely than U.S.-born ones to work as food service managers. Talking of small countries with an outsized influence on hospitality, the Irish pub is probably as much of a U.S. institution as the local pizza parlor or bowling alley, and so are their friendly bartenders. It should not come as a surprise then that bartender is the job Irish-born workers are four times more likely to hold compared with U.S.-born people.

But the list would not be complete without two other mainstays of the American food scene: Italian and Mexican food. The quotients for chefs and cooks born in either Mexico or Italy are in fact between 3.5 and 4.5, meaning they are roughly four times more likely than American-born workers to work as chefs.

Figure 1. Who is most likely to work as a cook or head chef? Occupation quotient of foreign-born Cooks and Head Chefs, by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

Figure 2. In which other food-related occupations are foreign-born workers more likely to be employed? Occupation quotient of foreign-born workers in selected food-related occupations, by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

The creative scene: Design, arts, fashion, and music

Few things bring more joy, amusement, and fascination than the products of artistic and creative endeavors. Again, this is an area where foreign-born workers are particularly active. Korean immigrants have made a mark on the U.S. fashion industry. For example, they are eight and a half times more likely than U.S.-born workers to work as fashion designers. This notable figure underscores the global impact of Korea’s dynamic fashion culture, supported by the export of K-pop music and its global style icons.

Turning to Japan, we see a strong contribution in a unique profession: the realm of floral design. Japanese-born workers, deeply rooted in the aesthetic traditions of practices like Ikebana, are more than three times more likely to be employed in this field than their U.S.-born counterparts. Their ability to blend natural beauty with artistic finesse has made them highly sought-after in the American floral industry. Furthermore, Japanese immigrants also excel in the broader arts sector, displaying a similarly high quotient in roles such as artists, musicians, and singers.

Meanwhile, Australians and New Zealanders bring their creative prowess to the U.S., particularly in photography, film direction, and graphic design. Workers born in the two countries are six times more likely to work as producers and directors than the average U.S.-born worker. They are also between two-and-a-half to three times more likely to work as graphic designers and photographers.

Italian immigrants are another group deeply involved in the cultural arts. Notably, they are four times more likely than their U.S.-born counterparts to work as music directors. They may have an advantage since several world-famous operas are sung in Italian.

Figure 3. In which creative occupations are foreign-born workers more likely to be employed? Occupation quotient of foreign-born workers in selected creative occupations, by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

Taking care of others

Perhaps the industry where the presence of foreign-born workers is most consequential is healthcare and caregiving. Filipino immigrants are indispensable in the U.S. healthcare system in a way that few other groups are, filling a wide range of crucial roles across various medical professions. Their presence is particularly significant in nursing, with Filipino-born workers being five times more likely than U.S.-born ones to work as registered nurses. Workers born in Iran, India, and other parts of the Middle East also hold key roles in the U.S. healthcare sector, particularly in high-skill positions such as physicians and surgeons. Iranian-born doctors stand out, being six times more likely to work as physicians and four times more likely to work as surgeons than U.S.-born people. Those hailing from Syria are fourteen times more likely to work as physicians than the average U.S. worker. The quotient for Indian-born professionals is 6.5.

Beyond healthcare, workers born in foreign countries still contribute to the mental, spiritual, and physical well-being of Americans. Chinese immigrants, for instance, are pivotal in bringing traditional holistic health practices to the U.S., particularly acupuncture and massage therapy. A Chinese-born person is eighteen times more likely than a U.S.-born one to work as an acupuncturist, one of the highest quotients in our analysis. Chinese practitioners are leading the charge in meeting the growing American demand for alternative health treatments.

Additionally, Vietnamese-born workers have established a dominant presence in nail care within the personal care industry. Workers born in Vietnam are 355 times more likely to work as manicurists and pedicurists than U.S.-born people. This is the highest quotient in the entire dataset. Their expertise extends to roles as hairstylists and cosmetologists, albeit with a much smaller quotient of 3.3, demonstrating their contribution to beauty and personal care.

Thai-born workers also make a significant contribution to the physical well-being of others. They are nine times more likely than U.S. workers to work as massage therapists. Similarly, people born in the West Indies are the foreign-born group most likely to work as home health aides, with a remarkable quotient of 14.7, underscoring their importance in providing essential in-home care services.

Figure 4. In which health-related and personal services occupations are foreign-born workers more likely to be employed? Occupation quotient of foreign-born workers in selected health-related and personal services occupations, by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

Driving innovation in tech and engineering

Another group of professions where foreign-born workers have had a transformative impact is in tech and engineering roles. Let’s begin with the country most prominently represented in this field: India. Indian immigrants have become closely associated with leadership in tech, holding pivotal roles in U.S. technology and engineering. Their presence is particularly pronounced in software development, where Indian-born workers are an astounding 17.5 times more likely than U.S.-born workers to hold such roles. In computer hardware engineering, the quotient is similarly impressive at 14, underscoring the critical contribution of Indian talent to maintaining the U.S. technological edge. The influence of Indian professionals extends to electrical and electronics engineering, where they are five times more likely to be employed, reflecting the rigorous training provided by Indian educational systems, which prepares engineers to tackle complex challenges in innovation and infrastructure development.

Chinese-born workers also have a profound impact on the U.S. tech and engineering landscape. They are notably present in fields like computer hardware engineering, where their quotient stands at 7.6, and in chemical engineering at 3.6. Moreover, Chinese talent is well-represented in computer and information research, with a quotient of 4.0, illustrating their pivotal role in advancing cutting-edge technologies and contributing to the U.S.'s leadership in tech innovation.

Nepalese, Russian, Malaysian, and Turkish immigrants, though fewer in number, also make significant contributions: they are between five and six times more likely than U.S.-born workers to be employed as software developers. Iranian-born professionals, alongside Malaysian-born workers, play a crucial role in the engineering sector. In particular, they are employed in electrical and electronics engineering roles at six times the rate of U.S.-born workers.

Figure 5. Who is most likely to work as a Software Developer? Occupation quotient of foreign-born Software Developers, by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

Figure 6. What other tech occupations are foreign-born workers more likely to work in Foreign-born occupation quotient for selected tech occupations by country of birth. (Source: ACS.)

Growing, building, and fixing things

The agriculture, construction, and skilled trades sectors in the U.S. are also heavily supported by the contributions of foreign-born workers, whose expertise is vital to these industries. These are the people who grow our crops, build, and fix our houses. Mexican immigrants are particularly prevalent in agricultural roles, where they excel as graders and sorters of agricultural products. They are nineteen times more likely than U.S.-born people to work in such roles. Their significant presence in this area ensures that the U.S. food industry maintains high standards in production and distribution, making them indispensable in the agricultural supply chain.

The Mexican-born often occupy specialized positions in construction, such as plasterers, drywall installers, and roofers. They are between ten and seventeen times more likely to work in these jobs than the average U.S.-born worker. Beyond agriculture and construction, Mexican immigrants are also vital in other skilled trades, such as pressers and upholsterers, with quotients ranging from 5 to 8. Mexican-born, alongside Central American-born people are also between three and four times more likely than natives to work as pipelayers. While Mexicans are also more likely to work as plumbers, Cuban and Albanian-born workers are the group most likely to work as electricians, with quotients ranging between two and three.

Figure 7. Occupations in which Mexican-born workers are most likely to be employed. Top occupation quotients for Mexican-born workers. (Source: ACS.)

Conclusions

In conclusion, the diverse contributions of immigrants across key professions and roles in the United States—from technology and engineering to healthcare, hospitality, and skilled trades—are undeniable. These foreign-born workers not only fill essential roles but also bring a wealth of expertise and cultural richness that enhances the fabric of the American workforce.