Study: immigrants have big impact on region’s work force, population growth

Immigrants accounted for almost 25% of the overall population growth in northeast Indiana between 2011 and 2016.

That’s according to a report by New American Economy, in partnership with area churches, Welcoming Fort Wayne, and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.

Michael Galbraith, director of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s “Road to One Milion” campaign, says it shows that immigrants play an “enormous role” in filling the area’s workforce, schools, and tax rolls.

The report, which you can read in full here, also says that foreign-born residents paid more than $161-million in taxes in northeast Indiana in 2016.