Foreign-born population swells in U.S.

The nation's foreign-born population numbered 34.2 million in 2004, accounting for 12 percent of the population and outpacing the nation's internal growth, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report being released today.

The Current Population Survey estimates the immigrant population rose 2.3 percent from 2003. The CPS showed a native-born population growth of 0.6 percent, said Pam Perlich, senior research economist at the University of Utah's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

"You're seeing the foreign-born driving U.S. population growth," Perlich said.

While there were no new state numbers available, Perlich said the nationwide growth is a continuation of a three-year trend from 2000 to 2003, seen also in Utah.

Nationally, the American Community Survey showed the nation's foreign-born population grew by about 10.8 percent to 167,396 people from 2000 to 2003, compared with 2.5 percent growth among the native-born population, Perlich said.

During the same time period, Utah saw an estimated 17.3 percent growth in its foreign-born population, compared with a 4.5 percent growth in the native population, she said.

Perlich said if the trends shown in the ACS continue, Utah's immigrant population will grow to at least 250,000 by 2010.

"A lot of those, at least 100,000, will be undocumented and without drivers' licenses," Perlich said.

The Utah Population Estimates Committee, of which Perlich is a member, believes the census estimates are conservative.

According to today's report, 53 percent of the nation's immigrants were born in Latin America, 25 percent in Asia, 14 percent in Europe and 8 percent in other regions of the world.

There were 30.4 million second-generation Americans, or natives with one or both parents born in a foreign country, according to the data.

Within the foreign-born, noncitizen population, only 59.4 percent had a high school diploma, compared with 88.3 percent of the native population and 77.4 percent of the naturalized citizen population, the CPS shows.

However, when it came to higher education, naturalized citizens surpassed those born in the United States, with 32 percent holding a bachelor's degree, compared with 27.8 percent of native-born citizens. Just under 24 percent of foreign-born noncitizens had a bachelor's degree.

The most prevalent occupations for immigrants who weren't U.S. citizens were in "service," followed by "management, professional and related" and "production, transportation and material moving" occupations.

"Management, professional and related" were the most common occupations for both native-born workers and naturalized citizens.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com