Cleveland: A High-Skilled Immigrant Destination

The Cleveland metro ranks 44th out of the nation’s 50 largest metros in the concentration of population who are foreign born, at 5.5%. However, in measuring the skill level of each metro, Cleveland has the 7th largest concentration of college-educated immigrants, at 40%. Also, 21.2% of the region’s immigrants have graduate or professional degrees, ranking Cleveland 5th in the nation. It is suggested that Cleveland’s “eds and meds” sector, which ranks 11th in total employment in the nation, is driving a higher proportion of high- compared to low-skilled immigrants. Implications are discussed.