Report - Immigrants in Montgomery County paid over $219 million in taxes
Report - Immigrants in Montgomery County paid over $219 million in taxes, with over $562 million in spending power in 2019
Report - Immigrants in Montgomery County paid over $219 million in taxes
A new report, "New Americans in Montgomery County and the City of Dayton," by New American Economy (now the American Immigration Council) in partnership with the Dayton Human Relations Council underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the community’s labor force, business creation, and STEM innovation.
Between 2014 and 2019, the Montgomery County population decreased by 0.5%, while the county's immigrant population grew by 21.6%. Without growth in the immigrant population, the total population in Montgomery County would have decreased even more, by 1.3%. In 2019 alone, immigrants in Montgomery County held $562.4 million in spending power and paid over $144 million in federal taxes and over $75 million in state and local taxes. Despite making up 4.8% of Montgomery County’s population, immigrants represent 8.3% of manufacturing workers, 8.2% of hospitality workers, and 7.7% of transportation and warehousing workers.
The report was awarded to the Dayton Human Relations Council (HRC) as part of the Gateways for Growth Challenge, a competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and/or technical assistance from New American Economy and Welcoming America to improve immigrant inclusion in their communities.
The report will be presented at a special event at the Dayton Metro Library (215 E. Third St.) at 2 p.m. on March 19, during which community members will offer commentary and encourage a next step: a county-level strategic planning process to welcome New Americans to Montgomery County. The event may be attended virtually at: https://bit.ly/NewAmericans19.
Following the launch, the report will be widely disseminated to county and municipal leaders, civic organizations, and residents.
“HRC applauds the volunteers who joined with us to work with the AIC in producing this report,” said Erica Fields, HRC executive director. “The report emphasizes how significantly New Americans have contributed to the economic and social well-being of Montgomery County. In addition to the beneficial economic impacts highlighted by the report, new Americans enrich local culture, raise educational quality and outcomes in schools, increase the safety and security of county neighborhoods, and contribute to overall well-being in many ways.”
“This report shows the crucial role that immigrants in Montgomery County play in powering key local sectors and in starting businesses that create jobs both in the county and across the state,” said Mo Kantner, director of state and local initiatives at the American Immigration Council. “By welcoming foreign-born residents with a unique range of skills, Montgomery County can make an important investment for the community’s future.”
"As one of our first Certified Welcoming cities, Dayton continues to be an example for how communities can effectively harness the talent of immigrants to create greater prosperity for all residents," said Molly Hilligoss, network director of Welcoming America. "We're thrilled that the Gateways for Growth Challenge can be part of making Dayton and Montgomery County an even more welcoming place for the future."
The New Americans in Montgomery County and the City of Dayton report finds:
- Immigrants are helping Montgomery County meet its labor force demands. Although the foreign-born made up 4.8% of the county’s overall population, they represented 6% percent of its working-age population and 5.8% of its employed labor force. They represented 8% of the food service workers, 7.7% of transportation and warehousing workers, and 6.1% of healthcare workers--all critical industries that have been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Immigrants are helping Montgomery County meet its rising labor needs in STEM and key industries. Immigrants accounted for 10.9% of the region’s science technology, engineering, and math workers.
- Immigrant households support the federal safety net. The foreign-born contributed over $74 million to Social Security and over $19 million to Medicare in 2019.
- Immigrants play a particularly significant role in Montgomery County as entrepreneurs. In 2019, immigrants represented 7.1% of the business owners in Montgomery County in 2019, and about 1,100 immigrants worked for their own businesses and generated $38.9 million in business income.
- Immigrants in Montgomery County help create or preserve local manufacturing jobs. Immigrants strengthened the local job market by allowing companies to keep jobs on U.S. soil, helping preserve or create 1,200 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere by 2019.
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About the Dayton Human Relations Council (HRC)
Established in 1962 by the Dayton City Commission, the Dayton Human Relations Council works to influence and ensure a culture of fair treatment, inclusion, and equal access to opportunities for all who live, work, play, and gather in the city of Dayton. The Council provides civil rights enforcement; builds the capacity of minority-owned, woman-owned and small disadvantaged businesses; and administers community relations initiatives.
About New American Economy
New American Economy (NAE) is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded to educate, empower and support policymakers, influencers, and citizens across the country that see the economic and social benefits of a smart approach to immigration reform. In January 2022, NAE merged with the American Immigration Council to combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect the rights of immigrants, more fully ensure immigrants’ ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. NAE has created a coalition of civic, business, and cultural leaders who span the political spectrum and represent all 50 states. NAE makes the case for smart immigration reform in four ways: 1) we use powerful research to demonstrate how immigration impacts our economy, 2) we organize champions at the grassroots and influencer levels to build support for immigration, 3) we partner with state and local leaders to advocate for policies that recognize the value immigrants add locally, and 4) we show immigrant contributions to American culture through film, food, art, sports, comedy, and more. To learn more, please visit our merger announcement here.
About Welcoming America
Welcoming America is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs. We believe that all people, including immigrants, are valued contributors and vital to the success of our communities and shared future. Through the Welcoming Network, we work to change systems and culture by providing communities the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive. Learn more at welcomingamerica.org.
