Number of undocumented workers by state and their workforce share

I can now provide an estimate of the number of undocumented workers in each state and their share of that state’s totwl workforce.
The Pew Hispanic Center issued in March, 2005 an estimate of the size and characteristics of the undocumented population in the county as of March 2005.
The Pew report says that in 2004 there were 7 million undocumented workers out of a total undocumented population of 10.3 million. This comes to a workforce – to – population percentage of 68%. This is extremely high compared to national figures of close to 60% and reflects the reality that most undocumented people are here to work.
I used Pew’s figures for March, 2005, and – applying growth rates that it found for the recent past — I extrapolated them to find a January 1, 2006 undocumented workforce of 7.3 million. Per Pew, The undocumented worker population is growing at about 300,000 per year (net of entrants and exiting persons), out of a net total undocumented immigrant growth of 500,000 per the Pew Hispanic Center. The workforce growth is close to 4% annually, far ahead of the growth of the American citizen workforce.
This comes to about 4.9% of the American workforce, which is about 150 million. I have estimated for each state the number of undocumented workers and their share of the state’s workforce as of December 2005.
You can read the rows below as follows. Take Florida for example. The total undocumented workforce in January 2006 is about 621,743. This is 7.1% of Florida’s workforce. What about the 14.2% figure? – See below.


For this understates the impact of the undocumented workforce, which is concentrated in low paying jobs and which is effectively excluded from major employment sectors, such as local, state and federal public sector jobs, most hospital jobs, just to name a few. It is more realistic to compare the undocumented workforce with about half of the American workforce – that is, about 75 million, not 150 million. ( I will explore this adjustment in future postings.)
When we do that, we find that nationwide the undocumented worker’s share is 9.7%. For Florida, undocumented workers fill roughly 14% of all jobs (1) from which they are categorically excluded due to strict documentation enforcement and (2) that demand less than a full high school education.
But even that understates how much the Wal-marting in reverse is going on: instead of off-shoring work to low cost countries, our economy is importing low cost workers to fill the steadily growing demand for workers who are not well educated (and don’t have time or resources to complain).
U.S. 7,300,000 4.9% 9.7%
Alabama 20,115 0.9% 1.9%
Alaska 3,657 1.1% 2.1%
Arizona 292,585 10.2% 20.5%
Arkansas 20,115 1.5% 2.9%
California 1,755,511 9.7% 19.5%
Colorado 164,579 6.5% 12.9%
Connecticut 51,202 2.8% 5.6%
Delaware 20,115 4.5% 9.1%
District of Co 20,115 6.8% 13.6%
Florida 621,743 7.1% 14.2%
Georgia 164,579 3.6% 7.2%
Hawaii 20,115 3.1% 6.2%
Idaho 20,115 2.7% 5.5%
Illinois 292,585 4.5% 9.0%
Indiana 51,202 1.6% 3.2%
Iowa 51,202 3.1% 6.2%
Kansas 51,202 3.5% 7.0%
Kentucky 20,115 1.0% 2.0%
Louisiana 20,115 1.1% 2.2%
Maine 3,657 0.5% 1.0%
Maryland 164,579 5.5% 11.1%
Massachusetts 164,579 4.9% 9.7%
Michigan 91,433 1.8% 3.6%
Minnesota 51,202 1.7% 3.5%
Mississippi 20,115 1.6% 3.1%
Missouri 51,202 1.7% 3.4%
Montana 3,657 0.7% 1.5%
Nebraska 20,115 2.0% 4.1%
Nevada 91,433 7.4% 14.8%
New Hampshire 3,657 0.5% 1.0%
New Jersey 256,012 5.7% 11.4%
New Mexico 51,202 5.4% 10.9%
New York 475,451 5.0% 10.0%
North Carolina 219,439 5.0% 10.1%
North Dakota 3,657 1.0% 2.0%
Ohio 91,433 1.5% 3.1%
Oklahoma 51,202 2.9% 5.9%
Oregon 91,433 4.9% 9.8%
Pennsylvania 91,433 1.4% 2.9%
Rhode Island 20,115 3.5% 6.9%
South Carolina 20,115 1.0% 1.9%
South Dakota 3,657 0.8% 1.7%
Tennessee 91,433 3.1% 6.2%
Texas 1,024,048 9.1% 18.1%
Utah 51,202 4.1% 8.2%
Vermont 3,657 1.0% 2.0%
Virginia 164,579 4.2% 8.3%
Washington 164,579 4.9% 9.9%
West Virginia 3,657 0.5% 0.9%
Wisconsin 91,433 3.0% 6.0%
Wyoming 3,657 1.3% 2.6%