Cascade/waterfall chart of immigrant contribution to U.S. workforce growth 1995-2015-2035.

Immigrants Drive Growth in U.S. Workforce

Immigrants and their children are projected to account for all the growth in U.S. working age population from 2015 -2035, as shown in this cascade chart.  While 15.4 million U.S. born workers with U.S. born parents were added to the workforce between 1995 and 2015, there will be 8.1 million fewer U.S. born workers with U.S. born parents in 2035 than in 2015.  Data is from Pew Research. There were 16.9 million immigrant workers added to the workforce between 1995 and 2015 and 2.7 million workers with immigrant parents were added in the same time period.  Overall the workforce age population increased 25% from 138 million to 173 million between 1995 and 2015. Only 4.7 million immigrant workers will be added to the workforce between 2015 and 2035.  13.6 million workforce aged U.S. born workers with immigrant parents will be added.  With the 8.1 million decrease in U.S. born workers with U.S. parents, the total workforce aged population will only grow by 6%, from 173 million to 183 million over the next twenty years.

Cascade/Waterfall Chart of Immigrant Impact on U.S. Workforce Growth

Cascade/waterfall chart of immigrant contribution to U.S. workforce growth 1995-2015-2035.

How I Made This Cascade/Waterfall Chart with Bar Comparison Lines

There are just 10 numbers and 6 bar labels required to create this chart.  I typed the data below from the Pew Research website into Excel: Data for Immigrant impact on U.S. workforce cascade/waterfall chart Here are the steps to make this cascade/waterfall Chart with bar comparison lines:
  • select the data range in Excel and use the Chart in PowerPoint button in the Mekko Graphics Excel button to insert the cascade chart with selected data range into PowerPoint (note: for the Mac version of Mekko Graphics you can copy and paste the data into a new cascade chart)
  • right-click on the two total bars (working age population in 2015 and 2035) and select Set Bar as Total Cascade
  • add the axis break by right-clicking in the first bar or either of the total bars
  • adjust the size of the axis break
  • remove the y axis
  • add the x axis title
  • adjust the internal chart margins
  • select the first and the two total bars, right-click and set their segment colors to be the same
  • use the same segment colors for the each pair of change bars (e.g., immigrants)
  • add the two bar comparison lines

Take This Chart and Make It Your Own

Download this chart and edit it using Mekko Graphics. See more cascade/waterfall charts in our chart gallery. Here are some other charts that may be of interest: