The benefits of immigration in the United States are economically clear: a lot of America’s most profitable companies have been founded by people born outside of the United States or abroad.
In fact, a number of Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants employed 3.6 million workers around the world in 2011 and were responsible for more than $1.7 trillion in revenues in 2010, according to the Partnership For A New American Economy.
Companies founded by new immigrants in the United States account for a valuable chunk of the American economy, not only in revenue and innovation, but also in job creations. These companies employ on average 10 American workers. Economists agree that new immigrants in America are twice as likely to start a business for a number of reasons:
- If they were willing to take a risk to immigrate to a new country, then they are more likely to be risk-takers and start a new business
- They want to employ their family. A business of their own allows them to create a family business
- They bring new ideas and skills that may be unique in the United States, opening the door to new customers for their products and services
- Starting a business is easier in the United States than it would be in their own country so they are excited about the opportunity to be business owners
Some of the biggest and most successful American companies founded by new immigrants include: Google, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, ebay, Radio Shack, Big Lots, Kohl’s, Yahoo, Nordstrom, and so many more.
