Immigrant Women in the United States: A Portrait of Demographic Diversity

Immigrant Women in the United States
From the American Immigration Council - Immigration Policy Center

"There are more than 20 million immigrant women and girls in the United States today, and they are a formidable presence in U.S. society and the U.S. economy. Immigrant women come from every corner of the globe and slightly outnumber immigrant men. They are more likely than men to come to the United States through the family-based immigration system, and nearly half are naturalized U.S. citizens. More than a quarter of immigrant women have a bachelor’s degree or more education, with women from India being the most highly educated, followed by those from the Philippines and China. Foreign-born women account for 15 percent of all employed women over the age of 16 in the United States. In fact, women from the Philippines, El Salvador, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala have higher rates of participation in the labor force than native-born women. Immigrant women work in every occupation, with one-third being in management and professional occupations, while nearly a third work in service occupations and under a quarter in sales and office occupations. Despite their hard work and educational achievements, immigrant women earn less than foreign-born men, and less than native-born men or women. Given their numbers and diversity, however, the scale of their economic contributions cannot be denied."


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Figure 1: Female Foreign-Born Population by Country of Origin, 2012

Figure 2: Foreign-Born Population by Gender & Select Countries of Origin, 2012

Figure 3: Foreign-Born Females Who Obtained LPR Status by Class of Admission, FY 2012

Figure 4: Male and Female Naturalization Rates by Select Countries of Origin, 2012

Figure 5: Share of Foreign-Born Population with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher, by Select Countries of Origin, 2012

Figure 6: Percentage of Women in the Labor Force, 2012

Figure 7: Percentage of Foreign-Born and Native-Born Women by Occupation, 2012

Figure 8: Median Earnings of Foreign-Born Men and Women from Select Countries of Origin, 2012

All the figures above are copyrighted proper of the Immigration Policy Center:


http://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/immigrant-women-united-states-portrait-demographic-diversity