If your daily commute takes you anywhere near the New York Harbor, one of the most iconic symbols that graces our cityscape may now fade into the rest of the growing skyline.
But for the millions of immigrants who’ve passed through Ellis Island, Lady Liberty has embodied the promise of not just a refuge but a place where anybody can build a better life for themselves and those who follow in their footsteps. In our current socio-political climate, she also stands for something incredibly topical: She represents what we can build together.
My parents immigrated to New York more than 50 years ago, leaving Sicily for Brooklyn, like so many others before and since. Families like mine found working-class jobs wherever they could — including as teachers, food service jobs, factory workers, and, yes, in construction.
That rich legacy of immigrant communities helping shape our skyline over the years continues. People from all over the world come to New York City and help with everything from architecture and design to engineering and the nuts-and-bolts construction of the places we call home, our businesses and offices that drive the economy, and the open spaces that we share.
Employing hundreds of thousands of workers and generating billions of dollars in revenue, the construction sector has long been a place where new New Yorkers can work to build a better future for themselves — and the city. From Italian masons who helped build the Empire State Building to the diverse workforce shaping our city’s future, immigration has been at the heart of New York’s growth and development.
According to the City of New York, immigrants make up 36% of our city’s entire population and 43% of its workforce. At a more granular level, the State Comptroller’s office reported that foreign-born workers made up almost 70% of all workers in the city’s construction industry as of 2023. This remarkable diversity was highlighted in this year’s New York Building Congress Workforce Snapshot report, and as we keep growing (as indicated in our newly released Construction Outlook Report), so will the impact that our immigrant workforce will have on New York City. Despite their vital contributions to the industry, however, immigrant workers often face fewer opportunities, and it is crucial to ensure we are supporting our newest workforce and helping foster a strong community.
That’s why I’m encouraged to see vital programs like the Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers (RPIE) initiative at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art playing a part in supporting a new generation of New Yorkers who can contribute to our city’s progress. For over three decades, the free program has helped immigrant, refugee and asylee engineers – 30% of whom already have advanced degrees from other nations – enter the workforce, assisting some 500 participants every year with their professional development.
The New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress, is proud to be supporting the program with a new grant aimed at creating an internship program pipeline and breaking down the barriers to finding work in the United States. RPIE participants are highly qualified, highly skilled and highly motivated, yet often come into the program working a survival job and living under the poverty line – all because they lack experience in this country.
They represent a pool of untapped talent for the STEM disciplines, including within the construction industry, and this program directly connects them with not only a career that matches their ambition and qualifications, but fosters lifelong skills to successfully navigate American workforce culture and the job market.
As a city, nation, and industry, we must continue pushing for forward-thinking policies that encourage our incredibly skilled immigrant workforce to access opportunity. We also need to expand Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding for programs tailored to the trades to ensure workers have the tools they need to succeed.
Construction is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s about ensuring access to good-paying jobs, granting people economic mobility, and offering hope for a better future. Every new construction project represents not just an architectural achievement but countless workers gaining the opportunity to support their families, advance careers and contribute to New York’s economy. Immigration is an indispensable part of this equation.
So, the next time you spot the Statue of Liberty, consider our history as a city of immigrants and celebrate the future we will build together.
Carlo Scissura is the President and CEO of the New York Building Congress.
