DC’s Office of Revenue Analysis takes a look at just how much immigrants shape the city

Of the roughly 829,000 people who work in D.C., 26 percent are immigrants.

This according to data shared on Thursday’s #ADayWithoutImmigrants by the D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis. On its blog District, Measured the office shared a post breaking down what professions immigrants in the District work in. According to the data (which comes from the 2015 American Community Survey), the occupation of carpenter sees the highest concentration of immigrants — a full 80 percent. Immigrants also make up 78 percent of maids and housekeepers and 71 percent of chefs and head cooks.

As can be seen from these top three occupations, D.C.’s immigrant population is clustered in what the Office of Revenue Analysis considers “low-wage jobs” (income below $44,000) or “middle-wage jobs” (income between $44,000 and $86,000). (Carpenters and chefs being the latter and maids being the former.) Overall, District, Measured reported, 41 percent of all low-wage workers in D.C. are immigrants.

These low- and middle-wage workers were also some of the key participants in Thursday’s strike, the Post notes.

Immigrants do make up a significant part of some key high-wage occupations, though. For example economists (46 percent), mathematicians and statisticians (43 percent) and physical scientists (42 percent). And yes, software developers are on there too — 32 percent of D.C. software devs are immigrants.

See the post

Based on early stories it seems D.C.’s #ADayWithoutImmigrants had the biggest impact on the food and beverage industry, with more than 100 restaurants closing down for the day. Perhaps others chose to mark the day in another way, like Technical.ly Philly’s Roberto Torres who wrote eloquently about why he decided to come to work.