State's economy draws immigrants


(12) Comments By JARED MILLER
Star-Tribune staff writer
Monday, September 29, 2008 6:48 AM MDT

CHEYENNE -- While much of the nation is enduring a downturn, Wyoming’s economy is thriving, and the availability of jobs is attracting more immigrant workers, a state economist said.

"Wyoming has experienced an increase in its foreign-born population, and that is mainly driven by the state’s strong economy," said Amy Bittner, an economist with the Department of Administration and Information's Economic Analysis Division.

Wyoming’s immigrant population jumped 17.5 percent between 2006 and 2007, the largest percentage gain in the nation, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

An estimated 16,360 immigrants lived in the state in 2007, up from fewer than 14,000 in 2006, the figures show.

The majority, almost 52 percent, came from Latin America. Nearly 44 percent were from Mexico.

Despite the increase, Wyoming’s foreign-born population comprised just over 3 percent of the total population in 2007, compared with a nationwide level of 12.6 percent, and ranked 44th highest in the nation, according to the Census numbers.

The Census Bureau’s estimates for immigrants include those in the state legally and illegally, because the agency does not ask about legal status.

Nationally, the wave of immigrants entering the United States slowed dramatically last year as the economy faltered and the government stepped up enforcement of immigration laws.

The nation added about a half million immigrants in 2007, down from more than 1.8 million the year before, according to the Census figures.

"The U.S. is still a beacon for many people who want to come here for all kinds of reasons," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institute who analyzed the numbers. "But what this shows is that the economy plays a big part in it."

In Wyoming, the unemployment rate in August was up nearly 1 percent from a year ago, to 3.3 percent from 2.4 percent.

But other states have been hit harder, and the slight reduction in jobs didn't seem to be enough to stop the influx of foreign-born workers to Wyoming, state economist Wenlin Liu said.

In addition to the strong state economy, Wyoming hasn’t seen immigration raids that may have helped drive down immigration rates in other states, Bittner said.

"In some states, where immigration raids have been conducted, a fear factor may have contributed to some of the decline in the foreign-born population," Bittner said.

In Colorado, one state where such raids have taken place, the number of foreign workers fell nearly 1 percent between 2006 and 2007, although Colorado has a much larger foreign-born population than Wyoming.

Immigration rates in other states adjacent to Wyoming were mixed, the census figures showed. Montana’s foreign-born population decreased by more than 8 percent between 2006 and 2007. Nebraska’s fell 1 percent. Idaho’s increased 2.3 percent.

The Wyoming Legislature last year defeated two bills aimed at curtailing illegal immigration in Wyoming.

One bill would have blocked illegal immigrants from receiving services, such as non-emergency health care, post-secondary education and food assistance. Another would have made it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants.

Supporters of the legislation argued that Wyoming could become a safe harbor for illegal immigrants as other states crack down on them.

The increase of immigrants to Wyoming seems to provide evidence of a national trend of immigrants moving into more rural areas instead of collecting in urban centers, Liu said.

"Before they maybe concentrated on metropolitan areas, but now they may be moving to more sparsely populated areas. It seems to be somewhat of a trend," Liu said.

Immigrant workers in Wyoming are taking jobs primarily in three industries: mining, construction and the service industry, Liu said.

Three regions of Wyoming are particularly attractive because of the abundance of those kinds of jobs.

Construction and energy-related jobs are available in the southwest region of the state around Pinedale, and the northeast region around Gillette. Teton County is a magnet for foreign-born workers seeking service jobs, Liu said.

At more than 38 million, the number of immigrants in the U.S. is now at an all-time high.

Immigrants made up 12.6 percent of the population in 2007, the largest share since 1920, when the nation was nearing the end of its last immigration boom, one that brought millions of people from Europe to the United States.

That wave of immigration ended with the Great Depression and the onset of World War II.

The latest immigration figures were from the 2007 American Community Survey, the government’s annual survey of about 3 million households.

The survey, which is replacing the long form from the 10-year census, yields reams of demographics, social and economic data about the nation.

Because the estimates come from a survey, each includes a margin of sampling error that makes year-to-year comparisons inexact.

Annual immigration changes for many states and cities were within the margin of error, but not for Wyoming.

Contact capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at jared.miller@trib.com.
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