What Is the Cost of Brain Waste for Highly Skilled Immigrants in the U.S.?

The skill underutilization of college-educated immigrants in the United States who are either stuck in low-skilled work or cannot find jobs imposes significant costs on immigrant families, government, and the broader U.S. economy. How much? Providing the first-ever estimates of this skill underutilization, also known as brain waste, MPI researchers find the tab runs to the billions of dollars in forgone earnings and resulting unrealized tax payments for federal, state, and local governments. One in four college-educated immigrants in the United States—1.9 million people—are experiencing brain waste. This infographic offers a quick summary of some of the key findings that can be found in this report.