skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EPA head says he'll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change; Environmental groups sue over permit for West Virginia valley fills; Doubling down on care: Ohio's push for caregiver tax relief; Uncertain future of Y-12 complex under Trump administration threatens jobs, economy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate Democrats refuse to support GOP budget bill. The EU and Canada respond to steel and aluminum tariffs and some groups work to counter Christian Nationalism, which they call a threat to democracy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Report: Immigrants boost Colorado and U.S. economy, create jobs

play audio
Play

Wednesday, October 9, 2024   

Immigration boosts the economy - in Colorado and across the U.S. But new policies are needed to maximize gains and make it harder for employers to abuse workers, according to a new Colorado Fiscal Institute study which found that each year, immigrants generate $54 billion in state economic output.

Despite widespread claims that immigrants are coming to take jobs from U.S.-born Americans, Sophie Shea, policy analyst with the Colorado Fiscal Institute, argues that immigration actually increases opportunities for all Coloradans.

"Research shows, study after study, that there is no fixed number of jobs in the state. When immigrants move to Colorado, the economy grows. That doesn't mean fewer jobs, that means more jobs," she said.

More than a half-million Colorado immigrants work in low-wage, middle-wage and higher-wage jobs. They are nursing assistants, cooks and software developers. Nearly one in five small businesses in the state was launched by immigrants, creating jobs for U.S.-born and new residents alike.

The report also shows how immigration has led to better, not worse, wages for U.S.-born workers.

Immigration has come under increasing scrutiny, fueled in large part by misinformation. Immigrants are tapping taxpayer-funded programs like food stamps, for example. Undocumented immigrants are not currently eligible for safety net programs. But in 2022, they contributed over $436 million in state and local taxes, a number Shea says could be higher if Congress reforms outdated immigration laws.

"If those workers were granted work authorization, that number would increase their state and local tax contribution to $537.8 million. So, that's a $100 million boost," she contended.

Colorado's working-age population is declining at the same time that Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce. Shea believes immigrants will be critical for blunting the impacts of this labor shortage and ensuring that older Coloradans can retire with dignity.

"So, it is really is very important that we are investing now, before we see those large gaps continue to grow, in welcoming and incorporating immigrants to our state, " she continued.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
"In Utah, we've been consistently told that transitioning away from coal would devastate our rural communities, but this report reveals a different reality," said Luis Miranda, Utah-based Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…


Social Issues

play sound

New data show fewer than half of rural Gen Z'ers believe they can find a good job in their community, compared to nearly 70% of their urban peers…

Environment

play sound

As federal funding for climate initiatives faces steep cuts, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are stepping into the breach, calling out the …


The U.S. solar industry employs more than 263,000 workers, with jobs in installation, manufacturing, and research continuing to grow. (rh2010/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan ranks 26th in the U.S. for total installed solar capacity, while global capacity rose 21% from 2023. However, there are industry concerns …

Social Issues

play sound

School employees are expressing outrage at the mass layoffs of half the U.S. Department of Education workforce. Secretary of Education Linda …

Social Issues

play sound

Republicans in Washington, D.C. remain focused on greatly reducing federal spending. However, a backlash is mounting in Congressional districts…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland ranks second in the nation for charging children who have committed crimes as adults. But one expert says a more trauma-informed response in …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021