New data shows that Maryland has a larger immigrant labor force than the U.S. average.

About 21% of workers in the state are foreign-born compared to a 17% nationwide average. Those foreign workers are also fueling the state’s meager two percent labor force growth, as they are more likely to participate in the labor force than natural born Marylanders. The state has a 2.4% unemployment rate and has approximately three job openings available for every worker, one of the highest ratios in the nation.

If not for immigrants, the study found that Maryland would have also experienced a third-consecutive year for population loss in 2023. Maryland, like other high cost-of-living states, has experienced a net population loss over the past five years. Over the course of 2022, the state lost 31,000 residents but took in 33,000 international migrants.

As of 2022, Maryland had over one million foreign-born residents: 26.7% of the state’s total population.

Healthcare and STEM were two areas with some of the highest populations of immigrant workers: 23% of registered nurses in the state are foreign born. And while those fields had some of the highest numbers of foreign-born workers, those are also fields where many face restrictions due to visa requirements or a lack of recognizable certifications from their native countries thereby making it difficult to fill the worker shortage gap.

“Many healthcare jobs, including all clinical roles, require industry-recognized certifications and often, frequent recertifications,” the authors of the report wrote. “Typically, credentialing does not translate smoothly across countries, and employers are often hesitant to hire healthcare professionals with degrees from institutions abroad. Both serve as barriers to employment.”

Immigrants are also likely to be overrepresented in dangerous jobs like construction, the report found. In March, six workers who were filling potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore fell to their deaths when a cargo vessel struck the bridge, causing it to collapse.

The vast majority of Maryland foreign-born workers entered the country via a legal visa or other lawful non-citizen status, reported the comptroller’s office.

The report found systemic weaknesses too. For instance, five percent of Maryland’s jobs are federal which require naturalization — meaning that they must become U.S. citizens. The same is true for people working on government contracts.

Pablo Blank leads immigrant integration for CASA, an immigrant advocacy group based out of Montgomery County, MD. Blank estimates that there are about 140,000 immigrants in the state who are eligible for naturalization.

“But they don’t because they can’t afford it or lack the knowledge. So those are barriers,” he said.

The report profiled one worker who could not work for governmental contracts since he was a green card holder. During that time, he was stuck making $18 an hour; after becoming naturalized, he was making $38 an hour working on government contracts and using the same skills as before.

And while STEM and healthcare are fields with some of the highest numbers of foreign-born workers, those are also fields where many face restrictions due to visa requirements or a lack of recognizable certifications from their native countries.

For instance, visa restrictions and a lack of recognizable certifications prevent many foreign-born workers from working in healthcare, security and STEM, where the state faces worker shortages.

“Many healthcare jobs, including all clinical roles, require industry-recognized certifications and often, frequent recertifications,” the authors of the report wrote. “Typically, credentialing does not translate smoothly across countries, and employers are often hesitant to hire healthcare professionals with degrees from institutions abroad. Both serve as barriers to employment.”

There are a number of things that Maryland can do to further support a critical part of the state’s labor force, Blank said.

“English classes would be good, tighter controls on OSHA regulations, and helping those who need documentation to get on a green card… would help an individual reach their maximum potential,” he suggested.

The top five countries of origin for immigrants in Maryland are:

El Salvador (11.7%)

India (6.3%)

China (4.7%)

Nigeria (4.7)

Guatemala (4%)