New Report: Immigrants Power Ohio’s Workforce and Pay Billions in Taxes

Immigrants in Ohio earned $27.3 billion in income and paid $7.3 billion in local, state, and federal taxes in 2023

Ohio, April 9, 2026 – New research from the American Immigration Council underscores the crucial role that immigrants play in Ohio’s economy, filling jobs in critical industries, strengthening the workforce, and contributing billions in taxes each year. The new report was prepared in partnership with Ohio Business for Immigration Solutions — a statewide business coalition powered by the American Immigration Council with over 100 members.  

“Immigrants are essential to Ohio’s future, powering the state’s workforce, strengthening critical industries, and paying billions in taxes that communities depend on every day,” said Rich André, Director of State and Local Initiatives at the American Immigration Council.  

“Ohio’s workforce shortages are placing real strain on businesses across the state, and as this new report highlights, immigrants play a vital role in driving economic growth and sustaining Ohio’s future,” said Jaclyn Ringstmeier, Executive Director of the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce. 

Key findings: 

• Immigrants are helping fill Ohio’s workplace shortages and will help meet future needs. From 2019 to 2024, the number of overall online job postings increased by 8.2 percent. In 2023, 75.5 percent of immigrants were active in the labor force. That same year, immigrants were 29.4 percent more likely to be of working age than their U.S.-born counterparts – demonstrating that immigrants are already meeting a growing demand for workers and are poised to continue to be active contributors to the workforce. 

• Immigrants in Ohio contributed billions in taxes and consumer spending. In 2023, immigrants earned $27.3 billion in income and paid $7.3 billion in taxes, leaving $20 billion in spending power that supports local businesses and communities. That spending by immigrant households helps fuel growth and keeps local economic corridors vibrant. 

• Immigrants are uniquely positioned to meet critical multilingual needs in the workforce. From 2019 to 2024, the number of online job postings that required or prioritized bilingual skills in Ohio increased by 39.2 percent. Immigrants often have multilingual skills, enabling them to fill those positions. 

• Ohio is underutilizing its immigrant talent. Many immigrants with specialized training and skills gained abroad are unable to work in their fields, due to barriers like relicensing and language proficiency. As a result, in 2023, 43.7 percent of immigrants with a college education were working in jobs that did not require a college degree. 

Read the full factsheet to learn more about how immigrants are supporting Ohio’s workforce, tax base, and economic growth. 

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About the American Immigration Council 

The American Immigration Council works to create a more welcoming and fair immigration system. Through litigation, research, and programs that expand access to legal assistance, the Council helps ensure immigrants are embraced, communities are enriched, and justice prevails for all. Follow us on BlueSky @immcouncil.org and Instagram @immcouncil.    

About Ohio Business for Immigration Solutions 

Ohio Business for Immigration Solutions (OBIS) is a coalition of more than 100 Ohio businesses, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and economic development groups that believe modernizing our immigration system is critically important for the growth of the state’s economy. With its launch on December 10, 2020, the coalition released the Ohio Compact on Immigration, a set of principles developed to elevate the Ohio business community’s desire to promote immigration reforms that will strengthen the economy, attract and retain global talent, and bring new businesses to the Buckeye state. OBIS supports sensible public policy solutions that rise above partisanship and rhetoric and meet the challenges of the current immigration system while recognizing the valuable contributions immigrants make to the state.   

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