The foreign-born population in the U.S. dropped by 1.5 million people, or 2.6%, from January to July last year, data show. Before that, the lowest population growth rate was just under 0.5% in 1919 at the height of the Spanish flu. “This is not necessarily good for the economy because population growth means labor force growth,” said Jan Brueckner, an emeritus professor of economics at UC Irvine. International immigrants, who now mostly come from Asia, have bolstered California’s population against the loss from those who leave for other states. The Golden State’s population struggles have dogged Gov.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 28, 2026 04:39 UTC