New York, NY, August 12, 2022 — One year since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the historic evacuation of over 76,000 people, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ (̽»¨¾«Ñ¡) releases new data revealing the potential economic contributions of newly-arrived Afghans within their first year of employment in the United States, set to contribute nearly $200 million in taxes to their new communities.
Since the United States government launched and welcomed over 76,000 Afghan evacuees, this new community of Afghans has the potential to make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy, especially in current labor market conditions:
- Of the 41,040 working-age Afghans in their first year of work, their projected economic contributions will total $1.4 billion, paying over $189 million in taxes.
- Top industry sectors included accommodation and food services, retail trade, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and food manufacturing.
- Top job titles included: General Production, Warehouse Worker, Food Preparer and Driver. Others included Cashier, Sales Associate, Dishwasher and Housekeeper.
- Afghan refugees accessing ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ employment services have been placed in jobs on average within 126 days, making an average of $16.67 an hour, for an annual projected income of $34,673 during their first year of work.
Ty Breland, Executive Vice President, and Chief Human Resources Officer at the Marriott, said:
Marriott International is proud to join the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in bringing attention to the remarkable contributions of refugees in our communities. We are in the business of connecting people through the power of travel and welcoming all. Having an inclusive environment where everyone belongs has long been core to our company DNA and we have seen firsthand that welcoming refugees enriches our business and communities. Our commitment to creating employment opportunities for refugees is unwavering, and we’re grateful to the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ for their leadership in supporting refugees globally.
Hans Van de Weerd, Vice President for US programs at the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, said:
Beyond any doubt, welcoming refugees is both right and smart - their contributions to the United States simply cannot be underestimated. These figures should be a call to action for the public and private sector alike: refugees bring more than they carry. Welcoming refugees, and employing them, is both right and smart. This is one of the many reasons why the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ is encouraging the Biden Administration to set and meet an ambitious resettlement target of 125,000 in September, as there are still people in Afghanistan that the U.S. needs to resettle.
Even more urgently, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ calls on Congress to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act -introduced last week by both the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis - which will secure a legal path to permanent residency for our new Afghan neighbors. This is essential to ensuring their great and growing contribution to the social fabric and economic muscle of U.S. communities.
Note to Editors:
*Using an average federal income tax rate of 13.29%