- May 1, 2021
- Keystone Research Center
- Muhammad Maisum Murtaza
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight just how interconnected our economies, communities, and lives have become. Workers and employers are still fighting to mitigate damage from the pandemic, and, thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and the coronavirus vaccine, recovery is on the horizon. This report highlights the role of immigrants in our economy as a whole as well as the contribution they have made during the pandemic and can make during the recovery. Immigrants have played a vital role in the pandemic, contributing to work in essential industries despite facing racial and ethnic discrimination. Additionally, immigrants have enriched our communities through the ownership of individual businesses like restaurants that have been devastated by the ongoing pandemic. The following report attempts to quantify the contributions of Pennsylvania’s foreign-born workforce. While much of their contributions are incalculable, there are economic contributions that can be measured and explored.