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Mayor Bloomberg takes a page from CUF in arguing economic value of immigrants

Impact - July 2010

Mayor Bloomberg takes a page from CUF in arguing economic value of immigrants

In late June, Mayor Bloomberg launched a national campaign to advocate for an overhaul of the nation's immigration policy, basing his case on an argument made repeatedly by the Center for an Urban Future during the past few years: immigrants provide a vital economic boost to cities.

Tags: economic growth immigrants entrepreneurship

In late June, Mayor Bloomberg launched a national campaign to advocate for an overhaul of the nation's immigration policy, basing his case on an argument made repeatedly by the Center for an Urban Future during the past few years: immigrants provide a vital economic boost to cities. Mayor Bloomberg cited the powerful impact of immigrant entrepreneurs, a point CUF has been hammering home since our 2007 report A World of Opportunity, which documented that immigrant entrepreneurs are starting a greater share of new businesses than native-born residents, stimulating growth in a number of sectors and transforming once-sleepy neighborhoods into thriving commercial centers. Last December, the Center's director authored an essay arguing that New York's economic development officials should look to immigrant entrepreneurs to provide a key spark to the city's economy in this downturn.