New Americans in Denver
Date: October 26, 2015
On October 26, 2015, business, government, and community leaders will gather for “Growth in the New West: Maximizing Immigrant Contributions to Denver’s Prosperity,” an event convened by Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and New American Economy (NAE) in partnership with the Office of Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Speakers will discuss how immigrants have contributed to the growth and vitality of the metro area, and how the city can work across sectors to bolster its competitive edge by attracting and integrating international communities.
In conjunction with the event, NAE, AS/COA, and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce released a report on the economic and demographic role of Denver’s immigrant population.
The report, “New Americans in Denver,” finds:
- Foreign-born households account for more than $6.9 billion in spending power and contribute more than $673 million in taxes to state and local budgets.
- In 2013, immigrants in the Denver metro area contributed more than $1 billion to Social Security and more than $256 million to Medicare.
- Between 2010 and 2013, the foreign-born population of Denver’s metropolitan area accounted for 17.5 percent of total population growth.
- More than one in four professional, scientific, or technical service workers in Denver are foreign-born.
- Foreign-born workers make up large shares of the workforce in Denver’s construction (28.6 percent), automotive (22.5 percent), and accommodation and food service (19.8 percent) industries.
- Immigrants are active in providing healthcare services to the region, making up 12 percent of industry workers.
- In 2010, 4,427 manufacturing jobs were preserved or created in Denver County due to the influx of immigrants.