March Workforce Wednesday: Supporting the New American Workforce
March 13, 2024
Minnesota welcomed nearly 35,000 new arrivals from other countries between 2020 and 2023, the latest year for which census data is available. These new arrivals include immigrants, refugees, additional people from other countries here under humanitarian protection and others. Work authorization varies by group. While the definition is very broad, these new arrivals in Minnesota are often called collectively New Americans.
The March Workforce Wednesday session hosted by DEED Workforce Strategy Consultant Shayla Drake focused on welcoming New Americans to Minnesota and connecting this often-under-employed labor pool with good jobs. The session started with an overview of services provided to New Americans in Minnesota. Then panelists from a range of organizations that serve New Americans provided a wealth of examples of how their organizations and others doing similar work can help connect New Americans and Minnesota employers.