The U.S. economy has netted 5.4 million jobs over the past five years, with 90% of that growth going to immigrants, according to new government data Friday.
That works out to 4.7 million net new jobs filled by immigrants compared with January 2020, or just before the pandemic and before the Biden border surge.
By contrast, U.S.-born employment is up just 645,000.
In just the past year, immigrants netted 1.9 million new jobs, or 72% of the total growth.
Steven Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, said 60% of the new immigrant-held jobs went to those in the country illegally.
The data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Employment Situation Summary, covering last month. It’s the first to be weighted for the full four years of the Biden migrant surge.
Mr. Camarota said the failure to account for the population growth meant immigrant and native-born employment numbers were depressed.
The latest numbers swept social media.
“Wow,” said Elon Musk, responding to a post showing that most net new jobs since the pandemic have gone to immigrants.
The new employment numbers showed the U.S. economy added 143,000 jobs in January, or slightly lower than the average pace last year, when roughly 2 million jobs were added.
The unemployment rate dipped to 4%.
Democrats said the slight slowdown belongs to President Trump.
“The report proves that even in the face of great economic strength, Trump’s slowdown is on the way,” said Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.
But the unemployment number is based on data collected in the middle of the month, when former President Joseph R. Biden was still in office.
The White House said the new numbers mark a sad farewell to Mr. Biden.
“Today’s jobs report reveals the Biden economy was far worse than anyone thought, and underscores the necessity of President Trump’s pro-growth policies,” said Karoline Leavitt, the president’s press secretary.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.