Providing greater support for immigrant and refugee workers and their families is critical for the health and sustainability of our economy and future of work.
by Katie Brown
June 6, 2022
Amid America’s reckoning with racial injustice and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color, companies are exploring how to better find, recruit and nurture talent from long-underrepresented backgrounds. Still largely left out of the conversation, however, are the millions of non-native English speakers who live and work in the United States.
Nearly 20 million U.S. adults have limited proficiency in English and an estimated 80 percent of refugees do not speak the language well upon their arrival in the country. Unable to fully convey their skills and backgrounds, and facing the deeply entrenched biases of companies hesitant to hire anyone not fluent in English, nearly 2 million college-educated immigrants and refugees are unemployed or underemployed in the United States.
Working-age speakers of other languages earn as much as 40 percent less than their English-speaking peers. The pandemic has only widened these gaps, with foreign-born workers experiencing sharper job losses than those born in the U.S. Hispanic workers – one-third of whom primarily speak Spanish rather than English – faced devastating job losses as COVID-19 roiled the U.S. economy.
A culture of care begins with ensuring every employee feels their whole self is being supported and given the tools to thrive, including our non-native English speakers. Unfortunately, too few of these vital members of the workforce are given anywhere near this level of crucial support.
This is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic one. A recent report from JFF found immigrant workers deliver a massive boost to both individual businesses and the U.S. economy as a whole. Their economic contributions account for nearly $2 trillion of total U.S. GDP. They are the only talent pool growing at a pace quickly enough to offset the impending retirement of the Baby Boomer generation.
In the United States, 97 percent of net workforce growth by 2030 will be immigrants and their children. Over the next 15 years, immigrants and refugees are projected to add about 18 million working-age people to the workforce. Providing greater support for these workers is critical for the health and sustainability of our economy.
Only 4 percent of English language learners have access to instruction, which presents employers with a large opportunity to improve the lives of their workers who speak another language. The first step toward cultivating a more inclusive workplace for these employees is ensuring that English is no longer a communication hurdle. Indeed, the benefits of English language training are clear – English proficiency is associated with increased wages, career advancement, improved performance as well as employee retention.
Some employers are starting to recognize the power of providing language learning as a core upskilling benefit alongside other training and education offerings. Amazon’s Career Choice program, for example, is designed to empower employees to learn new skills for successful careers at Amazon or elsewhere. The program provides a variety of educational opportunities, including full college tuition and industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs. In March, the company announced it would now offer personalized language learning to its hourly employees as part of the program to increase access to the foundational skills that many adults need before beginning credential programs.
Amazon joins other major companies such as Chobani, Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, Target and Walmart in discovering just how integral language training is to the advancement of their equity and training goals. They are learning that speaking a language other than English has little to do with an employee’s abilities or expertise. Providing non-native English speakers with the support and training they need allows employers to build and pull from entirely new pipelines of promising talent, both internally and externally.
Our recent survey of workers at several of these companies found that the programs are unlocking new career opportunities and boosting self-confidence. About 80 percent of those participating in the language training reported achieving career goals, including pay raises and promotions. Nearly 60 percent of learners reported improving their communication with colleagues.
By removing English as a barrier, employers can provide immigrants, refugees and speakers of other languages a stronger path toward advancing their careers and achieving social mobility. And they can begin to extend a culture of care to all of their workers, not just those who are native English speakers.