Washington, DC – The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an integral part of South Carolina’s economy and tax base and are a growing share of voters in the state. As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse. As voters, they are a growing political force. As South Carolina works towards economic recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping and growing the economic and political landscape of the Palmetto State.
Highlights of the research include:
Immigrants make up about 4.3% of South Carolina’s total population, and more than a third of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
The purchasing power of South Carolina’s Latinos and Asians totaled $5.2 billion in 2008.
Businesses owned by Asians and Latinos had sales and receipts of $2.8 billion and employed more than 20,000 people in 2002 (the last year for which data is available).
If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from South Carolina, the state would lose $1.8 billion in expenditures, $782 million in economic output, and about 12,000 jobs.
There is no denying the contributions immigrants, Latinos, and Asians make and the important role they play in South Carolina’s political and economic future. For more data on the contributions of immigrants, Latinos, and Asians to the Palmetto State’s economy, view the IPC fact sheet in its entirety.