SAN FRANCISCO – (INT) - California is home to over 10 million immigrants—more than any other state. The vast majority—75%—reside here legally.

In the 1990s, California’s immigrant population grew by 37% (2.4 million). But in the first decade of the 2000s, that growth slowed to 15%, and in the past 10 years, the increase was 11%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The vast majority of California’s immigrants were born in Latin America (52%) or Asia (39%). However, most (53%) of those arriving between 2011 and 2015 came from Asia; only 22% came from Latin America.

When it comes to education, the PPIC found more than half (52%) of foreign-born residents who came to the state between 2011 and 2015—and 58% of those who came from Asia—had attained at least a bachelor’s degree.

California’s foreign-born residents are about as likely to be in the labor force as are US-born residents: in 2015, 64% of immigrants were in the labor force, compared to 63% of the US-born. They are also slightly more likely to be employed. However, the median income in 2015 for households with foreign-born householders was 14.8% lower than that for households with US-born householders. Foreign-born residents are also about as likely as US-born residents to live in poverty.

Story Date: March 27, 2017