Report: Immigrants vital to Neb.

A new report says immigrants in Nebraska have a buying power of nearly $3.8 billion and are integral to the state’s economy as workers.

The report issued Monday by the Washington-based Immigration Policy Center says those contributions and others mean Nebraska’s foreign-born population will play a critical role in the state’s economic recovery.

The report was compiled using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other research groups.

A group spokeswoman says lack of available data forced the report’s focus on Latino and Asian groups and not other immigrants.

The report didn’t differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants in its economic analysis.

In 2007, immigrants constituted 6.5 percent of the state’s work force.

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