NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Immigrants are swelling the population and changing the makeup of the U.S. labor force in ways that are likely to reverberate through the economy for decades, according to the latest estimates and projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Since the end of 2020, more than 9 million people have migrated to the United States, after subtracting those who have left, coming both legally and illegally, said the office.
"That's nearly as many as the number that came in the previous decade," said The Wall Street Journal in its report about the development. "Immigration has lifted U.S. population growth to almost 1.2 percent a year, the highest since the early 1990s. Without it, the U.S. population would be growing 0.2 percent a year because of declining birthrates and would begin shrinking around 2040."
Since the start of 2021, net immigration to the United States has totaled roughly 9.3 million people, according to the CBO. That's more than three times the net number of people that entered the country over the previous four years.
"The surge in immigration has been controversial, because most migrants didn't come through regular legal channels," noted The Journal.
Less than 30 percent, or 2.6 million, are what the CBO counts as "lawful permanent residents," which includes green-card holders and other immigrants who came through legal channels, such as family or employment-based visas. In addition, the CBO estimates the nonimmigrant foreign population, which includes temporary workers and students, has grown by about 230,000 since the end of 2020.
