Using data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS), this brief examines the economic contributions of Latino immigrant labor in 10 U.S. states with the largest Latino immigrant populations. The analysis considers the potential economic implications if states were to lose a substantial share of this essential workforce due to intensified immigration-related policies.

Findings: Latino immigrants are essential to the U.S. labor force, representing 14.1 million workers nationwide. Latino immigrants in the U.S. and across the ten states with the largest Latino immigrant populations have higher labor force participation rates than the overall rates for the state’s population. Across the nation’s largest Latino immigrant states, the majority of Latino immigrant workers are not U.S. citizens. While the overall construction labor force increased in most states, the number of Latino immigrants in the construction industry grew at a much faster pace. Across both red and blue states, from Florida to California, Latino immigrants are essential to sustaining the nation’s agricultural production. Latino immigrants form the backbone of the nation’s service economy, filling essential roles in frontline, care, and hospitality occupations that keep industries and businesses running each day.