The Economics Show How to get immigration right. With Adam Ozimek
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Oct 2, 2025 
Dr. Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the Economic Innovation Group and co-author of "Exceptional By Design," discusses the essential role of immigration in driving economic growth. He critiques current U.S. policies, rating them a mere three out of ten, and emphasizes how high-skilled immigrants can elevate demand for lower-skilled jobs and boost wages. Ozimek argues for reforms to the H-1B visa, supports public interest in high-skilled immigration, and exposes issues with current graduate visa practices, all while advocating for a fairer immigration landscape.
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Skilled Immigration Reduces Inequality
- Increasing high-skilled immigration raises demand for lower-skilled work and can reduce income inequality.
- Skilled inflows also boost innovation, productivity, entrepreneurship and long-run wages.
Immigrants Drive A Third Of Innovation
- Immigrants generate a disproportionate share of U.S. innovation, accounting for roughly a third of innovation output.
- That scale of contribution has major long-run effects beyond modest short-run wage impacts.
Big Fiscal Upside From Skilled Workers
- High-skilled immigration produces large positive fiscal impacts because skilled workers pay far above-average taxes.
- Even a conservative static analysis shows hundreds of billions in annual benefits and trillions over decades, excluding productivity gains.