America's Lost Talent

On a day when cities across the U.S. are preparing for a “Day Without Immigrants”—a 24-hour strike to remind Americans of the critical role foreign-born workers play in the nation’s economic life—it’s important to note the full scope of their contributions.

America literally depends on talent from around the world to power its high-tech knowledge economy. Immigrants account for a fifth of all STEM (science, technology engineering and math) occupations workers with bachelor's degree, 40 percent with a master’s degree, and more than half (54.5 percent) with a Ph.D. What’s more, immigrants are significantly involved in anywhere from a third to a half of major high-tech startup companies. More than 40 percent of recently founded Silicon Valley tech companies have at least one immigrant on their founding team.