LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A new report says Michigan’s immigrant population grew by roughly 10 percent between 2010 and 2014, helping to mitigate the state’s broader population loss and the effects of the Great Recession.
The influx of 60,000 foreign-born residents during that period, a 10.2 percent increase, outpaced the national average of 5.8 percent.
Nearly 642,000, or 7 percent, of Michigan residents are foreign-born. The U.S. rate is 13 percent.
The report was issued Wednesday by the Michigan Office for New Americans in conjunction with the Partnership for a New American Economy, which supports immigration reform.
Gov. Rick Snyder is a backer of immigration reform who frequently touts immigrants’ entrepreneurship. He said immigration “has proven to be a driver of job creation and economic growth in Michigan.”
