English

U.S. workforce has lost 1.2 million migrant workers

(Photo/EFE)

DUE TO DEPORTATIONS IN 2025

EFE News Agency

Haga click aquí para leer la versión en español

Around 1.2 million immigrant workers have disappeared from the U.S. labor force since January 2025. This figure is included in the analysis “Warning Signs on the Economic Damage Caused by Deportations” conducted by Economic Insights and Research Consulting (EIRC).

The report evaluates the economic harm caused by the Trump administration’s new immigration policy. Researchers found that the greatest impact on employment was in the agricultural sector, where jobs dropped 6.5% between March and July 2025, reversing two years of growth.

Rise in vegetable prices

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 2,371,000 agricultural jobs in March 2025 compared to just 2,216,000 in July 2025, a decrease of 155,000 in only four months. The report states that immigration raids targeting farmworkers and agricultural laborers have directly impacted the prices of fresh vegetables.

These agricultural products have risen at an annual rate of more than 8%, while meat prices increased at a 7% annual rate. The construction sector has also been affected. Building permits fell 17% in the Northeast and dropped in regions with a higher reliance on immigrant workers.

Construction, tourism, and leisure hit

The decline in construction worsens the housing crisis for working families, according to the EIRC report. Construction employment fell in the 10 states with the highest concentration of immigrants, including Texas, Florida, and California, the report said.

The leisure and tourism industry grew only 0.2% in states with high levels of immigration—another concerning figure for restaurant and hotel owners. “Trump’s mass deportation offensive is disrupting our economy and raising food and housing prices for all Americans,” said Vanessa Cárdenas of America’s Voice.

Economic sabotage

Cárdenas added that the public must understand this “is not just bad immigration policy but economic sabotage” that harms working families and entire communities. Chris Gibbs, of Rural Voice USA, said the decline in the agricultural sector is a real opportunity for farm owners and growers to push for the approval of immigration reform.