Africans have for many years migrated to the United States for several reasons. Throughout history, African immigrants have in one way or another contributed greatly to the growth of the US in many sectors of the economy. Despite these contributions, the impact of African immigrants in the US is not always recognized or acknowledged.
These immigrants naturalize at high rates, which is a sign that they want to be fully integrated into the society and bring their contribution. They attain higher levels of education than the overall U.S. population, and are more likely to have earned their degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math field. They also make meaningful contributions to several vital sectors of the economy – including healthcare – where employers have persistent challenges finding enough workers. Let’s analyze the unsung but yet shinning contribution of African immigrants to the US economy.
Financial Contribution
Billions in Spending, Taxes, and Skills
African immigrant contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy through their spending and tax payments. Research has shown that African immigrants earned $55.1 billion in 2015. Their households paid $10.1 billion in federal taxes and $4.7 billion in state and local taxes – giving African immigrants an estimated spending power of more than $40.3 billion that year, compare to the native US born citizens.
The taxes generated from Africans are used to fund support programs like Medicare and Social Security at both the federal, and state or local levels. Their contributions have also helped businesses grow, thereby helping the economy thrive better.
Educational Contribution
African immigrants boast higher levels of education than the overall U.S. population with over 40% of the highly educated been Africans. This has greatly benefited the American society as these educated Africans have become pillars of great reckon as they have a positive impact on the US community, making the United States one of the countries with the most educated people in the world.
