The intensifying focus on immigration enforcement by the federal government is sending ripples of concern through critical sectors of the U.S. economy, particularly those heavily reliant on foreign-born workers. Industries like hospitality, agriculture, and construction face significant questions about their workforce stability as evolving immigration policies put more foreign-born individuals at risk, highlighting a broader shift in labor dynamics across the nation.
Nationwide, foreign-born individuals constitute approximately 17.5% of the total U.S. labor force. However, this average masks considerable variations across different sectors. Key industries such as agriculture, construction, healthcare, and critically, the hospitality industry, depend disproportionately on immigrant labor to fill essential roles, underscoring their vital contribution to the American economic fabric.
Within this landscape, the hotel industry stands out as one of the most dependent sectors on foreign-born labor. Data indicates that over 31% of employees in traveler accommodation—encompassing hotels, motels, and resorts—are foreign-born. This places the hospitality industry as the fourth highest among the 50 largest private-sector industries in terms of foreign-born worker concentration, just behind building services, landscaping, and crop production, and notably surpassing fields like home healthcare and construction.
Foreign-born workers are predominantly found in roles foundational to hotel operations, particularly in food service, cleaning, and behind-the-scenes functions. For instance, an astonishing 58.4% of dishwashers in hotels are foreign-born, the highest share of any hotel occupation. Similarly, nearly half of food preparation workers and housekeepers, at 49.7% and 49.1% respectively, were born outside the United States, illustrating their indispensable role in maintaining daily hotel functions.
Geographically, certain major U.S. metropolitan areas exhibit an even more pronounced reliance on immigrant labor within their hospitality sectors. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach leads with 65.1% of its hotel employees being foreign-born. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward follows closely at 64.9%, while New York-Newark-Jersey City reports a significant 56.4%. These urban hubs, serving as major tourism destinations, have long benefited from their large and established immigrant populations who often comprise the backbone of their hotel employment.
Mirroring these metro-level trends, several states demonstrate a high dependence on foreign-born workers in their hotel industries. California tops the list with 47.7% of its hotel workforce being foreign-born. New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and Hawaii also show high percentages, reflecting a confluence of robust tourism economies and diverse demographics. States like Florida, Maryland, and Massachusetts similarly demonstrate substantial reliance due to their strong hospitality sectors and sizable immigrant communities.
Conversely, states with smaller immigrant populations, particularly in the South and Midwest, show a significantly lower reliance on foreign-born labor. Alabama, for example, registers the lowest share nationwide, with just 5.7% of its hotel workers being foreign-born. Other states in these regions, including Michigan, Missouri, and Kentucky, also report notably low rates, underscoring a stark regional divide in how the hotel industry navigates workforce trends and immigration policy impacts.
