Image Credit: Official Layoff / Layoffhedge – X & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
A new report compiled from data by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 9 out of 10 new American jobs are going to someone born outside the country, and near the top of the list sits Tennessee, which has also reached an all-time high in foreign-born population.
And while the state legislature may be comprised of a Republican supermajority, legislation making its way through the General Assembly this year could serve not only as a confirmation of sorts of these statistics but also raises questions about the pandering by state Republican leadership to foreigners over native-born Tennesseans and Americans.
Collated by layoffhedge, a site created to track layoff data across the country in real time, the report details foreign-born employment numbers since the pre-COVID peak in February 2020. From then to now, foreign-born share of the overall workforce has increased from 17.5%-19.6%, with 4.3 million foreign-born jobs gained compared to native-born employment gain of only 471,000.
This means that 90% of new net employment went to workers born outside the U.S., and layoffhedge has tracked over 335,000 layoffs in 2026 alone. The March jobs report affirmed this alarming trend, confirming that foreign-born employment is growing 42X faster than native-born since 2019.
Not the Bee also observes that these trends are occurring despite Americans graduating college at a high rate yet are unable to procure equivalent employment, with 43% of young graduates being underemployed.
But the shocking data reveals even more worrying developments, highlighting 14 states, including Tennessee, that just hit all-time highs in foreign-born share of population. According to the figures, the South’s overall foreign-born population is up 578% since 1980, and Tennessee sits alongside nine other “Red” Southern states being most drastically impacted by the foreign takeover of the workforce.
Tennessee also received an additional spotlight as an example of these statistics in action through the state’s massive tax breaks to Oracle, also known as corporate welfare, for which the state has become notorious amongst the conservative voter base. Per the reporting, Tennessee gave Oracle $240 million in incentives for a new Nashville headquarters but only saw a return of seven jobs total.
Then, Oracle fired 30,000 Americans on April 1 while simultaneously filing over 3,000 H-1B petitions to bring foreign workers to fill their newly created staffing gaps.
This foreign-first position seemed to be indirectly corroborated by the Tennessee Senate, where two bills are being considered which could serve to reinforce to constituents the state’s apparent position viewing foreign influence as superior to the well-being of Tennesseans.
One bill, SB1889, seeks to ensure all driver’s license tests are taken in the English language. This legislation allows applicants to take a driver’s license test in another language besides English but would require that individual be issued a three-year restricted license and mandate they retake the test upon its expiration in English without any assistance.
While the overall intent of the legislation has been viewed positively by conservatives, the amendment changing the original one-year license restriction to three was recently revealed to have been made especially to appease concerns from foreign entities and those that represent them.
Bill Sponsor Sen. Brent Taylor informed the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, “there were concerns with ECD [Economic & Community Development] with all of the recruitment we’re doing with foreign countries and the investment in Tennessee from foreign countries that this was the compromise we were able to work out that seemed to give everybody the least amount of heartburn.”
The House version of the bill, HB1708, is slightly more stringent, providing for an 18-month restricted license instead of three years, though it has also been amended to extend the timeframe from the bill sponsor’s original 1-year proposal.
Another instance which could be perceived as courting of foreign cultures by Tennessee officials was seen in the Senate’s passage of a resolution on Tuesday seeking to honor Arab Americans as those who have been “making valuable contributions to virtually every aspect of American society- in medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service and culture.”
SJR1030 by Republican Sen. Becky Massey says that “since migrating to America, men and women of Arab descent have shared their rich culture and traditions with neighbors and friends while also setting fine examples of model citizens and public servant” and extolls their bringing to America “their resilient family values, strong work ethic, dedication to education, and diversity in faith and creed that have added strength to our great democracy.”
Furthermore, it appears to chastise those who may not share the sentiments in the resolution, stating that the “celebration of Arab-American ancestry and cultural heritage educates our fellow Americans and counters misconceptions, harmful stereotyping, and shared misconceptions by other ethnic groups”.
Finally, SJR1030 claims “Arab Americans join all Americans in the desire to see a peaceful and diverse society, where every individual is treated equally and feels safe” and “the incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans have helped us build a better nation.”
The resolution was adopted with bipartisan support in a 24-3 vote, with the three “No” votes coming from Republican Sens. Joey Hensley, Jessie Seal, and Brent Taylor. Several other Republicans chose not to cast a vote at all and will not appear on the vote record as a result. But with this positive majority vote, SJR1030 will move to the House for its consideration.
If you have thoughts on either SB1889/HB1708 and their extended timeframes for restricted licenses or SJR1030, you can use this tool to find contact information for your Senators and Representatives.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
