U.S. citizens benefit as over 1 million foreign-born workers exit country's workforce, Federal Reserve data shows
By lauraharris // 2025-06-15
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  • Between March and May 2024, the U.S. foreign-born labor force declined by 1.013 million workers, dropping from 33.719 million to 32.706 million, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  • The overall civilian labor force shrank by only 437,000 in the same period, indicating that foreign-born workers are leaving the workforce at a much higher rate than native-born workers.
  • The decline aligns with President Donald Trump's reinstated immigration enforcement policies, which prioritize native-born employment through stricter immigration controls and penalties for hiring undocumented workers.
  • The administration and its supporters attribute the exodus to increased workplace audits and legal pressure, prompting many undocumented or uncertain-status workers to leave voluntarily – a key component of Trump's "self-deportation" strategy.
  • Trump officials cite February's data showing 284,000 new jobs for native-born Americans and a loss of 87,000 for foreign-born workers as a turning point, claiming the trend is continuing and fulfilling the administration's promise to put American workers first.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has revealed that American citizens benefit as more than one million foreign-born workers left the U.S. workforce between March and May. According to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the number of foreign-born individuals in the civilian labor force dropped from 33.719 million in March to 32.706 million in May – a decrease of 1.013 million workers. In contrast, the overall civilian labor force shrank by just 437,000 over the same period, falling from 170.653 million to 170.216 million. The figures suggest that foreign-born workers are exiting the workforce at a rate more than twice that of native-born workers, a trend that aligns with the administration's push to prioritize employment opportunities for American citizens. "For the first time in 15 months, the job gains for native-born Americans… exceeded job gains for migrant and foreign-born workers. You've heard the same stat where foreign workers were taking up all the jobs," President Donald Trump said back in March. The administration pointed to the job data in February, in which native-born workers added 284,000 jobs while foreign-born workers saw a net loss of 87,000. (Related: U.S. job openings rise more than expected in April.) The data also underscores a reversal from labor trends observed during the tenure of former President Joe Biden. At the time, foreign-born workers accounted for a substantial portion of post-pandemic job recovery, especially in the private sector, with their labor force participation rebounding more rapidly than that of native-born Americans.

Trump fulfills his promise to put American workers first

The timing of this exodus coincides with the renewed focus of Trump's re-implementation of stricter immigration controls and stepped-up enforcement against illegal labor practices – key pillars of his 2024 campaign and early 2025 agenda. Supporters of his agenda cited the sharp decline as early evidence that his administration's renewed focus on immigration enforcement is delivering results. Several possible reasons for the steep decline in foreign-born participation include increased workplace audits, threats of employer sanctions and a growing climate of deterrence that has led many to leave voluntarily. These include individuals whose immigration status is uncertain, as well as those here illegally who fear enforcement actions. "This is a clear sign that Trump's return to tough immigration enforcement is already having measurable impact. In just a few short months, over one million foreign-born workers have left the labor force – a staggering number that speaks volumes. This shift isn't just a coincidence. It reflects a serious change in policy direction. The Trump administration has made it clear that America’s jobs should go to Americans first. And employers are getting the message: if you hire illegal labor, there will be consequences. What we're seeing now is the early fruit of that pressure," Steve Straub wrote for TFPP Wire. "Many who are here illegally, or whose work status is questionable, are choosing to leave voluntarily. That's exactly how self-deportation is supposed to work. It's humane, cost-effective and orderly. Even better, native-born Americans are finally seeing a boost in job gains." Now, with native-born job gains on the rise and foreign-born employment contracting, the administration is delivering on its core promise: putting American workers first. Head over to Progress.news for similar stories. Watch the video below where Antoni discussed how the U.S. labor market is nowhere near as robust as people thought it was.
This video is from TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com TennesseeStar.com TFPPWire.com Brighteon.com
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