A report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that last year, immigration to the United States slightly increased, with most new immigrants coming from Asia, particularly from India and China, changing the trend where Hispanic populations were the main drivers of immigration growth before the economic recession. Economists believe this phenomenon indicates that the U.S. economy is emerging from the shadows of recession.
This comprehensive statistical report on social, economic, and demographic changes, the 2012 American Community Survey, found that the foreign-born population in the U.S. increased by nearly 447,000 last year, surpassing the 422,000 in 2011, bringing the total to 4,080,000. In comparison, during the entire year of economic recession in 2008, the outflow of population from the U.S. reached 320,000.
The increase in the immigrant population is primarily driven by a surge in Asian immigrants born abroad, which increased by over 309,000 last year, nearly 1.5 times the 207,000 in 2011. In the years leading up to the economic crisis in 2007, the net immigration population in the U.S. averaged about 100,000 per year, but saw a significant decline during the recession. Although the growth of the immigrant population last year remains weak compared to historical levels, this data indicates that "the economy has improved."">
The number of highly educated, high-income, and skilled individuals among immigrants to the United States is increasing. Many of the new immigrants are high-tech workers from Asian countries such as China and India. Experts predict that Asian immigration will continue to grow rapidly.
