Speech #880082222

Table III shows that in were less than onefifth of 1 percent of 1961. for example. our total labor force our labor force. In that year this prowas about 66.7 million. including 123.- portion did not exceed onehalf of 1 per688 immigrantsso that immigrants cent in any occupational category rangIng from the professional and technical workers to clerical. operatives. and unskilled laborers. This data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. the U.S. Bureau of the Census. and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. From table III figures. I have prepared a chart which I refer to as chart 2 showing graphically what I have just introduced. Between 1947 and 1962. our labor force expanded by about 13 million persons. while the total number of immigrants was only 3.8 million. But not all of these immigrants could or did enter our labor force. About 20 percent were housewives. 20 percent were children under 14 years old. and 7 percent were students. Thus. in any single year. only about 50 percent of the immigrants who came to this country could have entered our labor forcefor instance. in 1962 about 142.000 of the 284.000 immigrants. or less than a quarter of 1 percent of our employed labor force. could have entered our labor force. Although their numbers are small. these immigrants have made important contributions to our economy and society. Before they arrived. they had been fully trained and possessed talents and skills urgently needed in our economy. One of our most serious occupational shortages has been a lack of engineers. During the last 10 years. some 31.000 immigrant engineers entered the United States. which was only 5.6 percent of all domestic graduates in engineering and science. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that table IV. showing the relationship between totals of immigrant scientists and engineers and domestic graduates in engineering and science. by fiscal year 1951 to 1961. be printed at this point in the RECORD.