Removing Foreign Workers Would Cost Idaho Billions

Last week, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Ahlquist, and the Idaho Home Builders Association, along with members of the Idaho Alliance for a Legal Workforce, unveiled a new economic impact study examining the role of foreign-born workers in Idaho’s economy.

The report, The Story of Idaho Labor Markets, found removing nearly 29,000 foreign-born workers would shrink Idaho’s gross state product by 4.6%, a $5.1 billion loss.  Researchers estimate the ripple effects would cost more than 55,000 jobs statewide, reduce wages by $2.9 billion, and cut nearly $398 million in state tax revenue.

“This analysis provides valuable, data-driven insight into the role foreign-born workers play in sustaining Idaho’s economy and the potential consequences of their removal,” said Zak Miller, CEO of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. “As immigration policy continues to be debated, it’s critical that decisions are informed by economic data. This study helps illustrate what is at stake for farmers, workers, and the broader Idaho economy.”

Industry leaders say the potential losses would rival impacts seen during the Great Recession, emphasizing the need for stable, legal workforce policies moving forward.  The report notes that Idaho’s ability to recover and move back to baseline growth in the absence of its current labor mix would determine both the duration and ultimate depth of the ensuing economic recession.

“Idaho dairy producers have spent years advocating for legal and reliable workforce policies, knowing that immigration can only be addressed at the federal level," said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen's Association.  "This study shows that without federal solutions, Idaho’s economy will continue to face unnecessary strain. In the meantime, we need to make sure that state policymakers don’t make conditions worse in Idaho for our workforce.”

Click Here to read the entire study.

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