the number of foreignborn workers in the united states neared prepandemic levels last year reaching 174 percent according to government data released wednesday the foreignborn labor force increased by 671000 compared to 2020 rising to 279 million the labor department said however it remains below the prepandemic level of 284 million the unemployment rate for that group fell to 56 percent in 2021 from 92 percent the prior year the size of the nativeborn labor force was essentially unchanged last year though the jobless rate also fell sharply dropping to 53 percent from 78 percent the report said the shortage of workers has become an increasing problem in the us economy fueling inflation as companies struggle to fill open positions and bid up wages federal reserve chair jerome powell on tuesday repeated the concern noting that if you have a slower growing labor market youre going to have a smaller economy us unemployment in april was 36 percent only a hair above the prepandemic level but labor force participation has not fully recovered hispanics continued to account for nearly half of the foreignborn labor force in 2021 and asians accounted for one quarter