US President Donald Trump's fresh push to ramp up immigration enforcement had an immediate effect on the nation's workforce. New government data showed that more than one million immigrant workers exited the labour force between March and May 2025.

The US Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that the number of immigrant individuals in the civilian labour force fell from 33.7 million in March to 32.7 million in May, a drop of 1,013,000. The figures came from the Bureau’s Current Population Survey and were not seasonally adjusted, so they did not account for regular month-to-month shifts.

At the same time, average hourly wages increased. Wages rose by 0.4 per cent in May, reaching $36.24. Workers continued to earn more than inflation, which improved their spending power.

President Donald Trump highlighted the wage rise and the state of the economy on Friday morning. He posted on TruthSocial: “AMERICA IS HOT! SIX MONTHS AGO IT WAS COLD AS ICE! BORDER IS CLOSED, PRICES ARE DOWN. WAGES ARE UP!”

Since returning to the office in January 2025, Trump issued immigration orders at a pace nearly six times faster than during his first term. These included expanded worksite enforcement, penalties for employers who hired undocumented workers, and visa restrictions. While deportations continued, the White House also applied legal pressure, conducted workplace raids, and used public messaging to try to reduce the unauthorised population. Legal experts said many immigrants chose to leave on their own.

Even though the numbers dropped recently, foreign-born workers have historically shown higher participation and employment rates than US-born individuals. In 2024, 66.0 per cent of immigrants were in the labour force, compared to 61.7 per cent of US-born people and 64.5 per cent of immigrants were employed, while 59.2 per cent of US-born individuals had jobs. At the end of 2024, 31.4 million immigrants made up 18.6 per cent of all civilian workers, up from 18.1 per cent in 2023.

Government data showed that immigrant workers held a large share of jobs in several industries. These included farming, fishing, and forestry (37.3 per cent), building and grounds cleaning (37.2 per cent), construction and extraction (27.6 per cent), food preparation and serving (26.1 per cent), and transportation and material moving (25.4 per cent). These sectors continued to need labour, even as total workforce numbers declined.

In 2024, immigrant workers were concentrated in specific regions. The South held 29.5 per cent of them, and the West held 28.4 per cent. The Northeast accounted for 21.9 per cent, and the Midwest for 20.1 per cent. The South and West together made up more than half of the country’s immigrant workforce. These regions remained key job centres, especially in construction, logistics, healthcare, and hospitality.