- Research and Analysis
The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Ohio’s Manufacturing Sector
Published
New research from the American Immigration Council shows the key role that immigrants and refugees play in Ohio’s manufacturing industry, bringing diverse skills and experiences that enrich the sector. The manufacturing industry attracts a variety of workers whose contributions help create a vibrant economy in Ohio. As companies look to fill manufacturing jobs and grow, attracting and retaining both U.S.-born and immigrant talent is as important as ever. The Buckeye State must invest in welcoming strategies to ensure that immigrants can thrive and fully participate in the economy.
For more information, see our press release.
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Immigrants and refugees in Ohio help bolster the state’s manufacturing workforce. While immigrants made up 4.7 percent of the state’s total population in 2019, the share of immigrant workers in the manufacturing industry from 2015 to 2019 was approximately 6.3 percent.
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From 2017 to 2021, demand for manufacturing occupations that required at least six months of specialized training increased dramatically across the state. From 2017 to 2021, the number of online job postings for production occupations increased by 351.8 percent and first-line supervisors of production and operators increased by 277.8 percent. From 2015 to 2019, the share of immigrants who worked in high-skilled manufacturing jobs was 5.9 percent.
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International students can help fill manufacturing jobs and innovate across the industry. In October 2021, 17,400 international students in Ohio were enrolled in degree programs or Optional Practical Training (OPT) in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Two-thirds of these international students were pursuing either a master’s or a doctoral degree