Immigrant-led start-ups drop in US : study

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The number of US high-tech start-ups founded by immigrants, which has long been a source of growth for the American economy, has begun to slip, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The study suggests that an "unwelcoming" immigration system is discouraging foreign-born entrepreneurs, a major source of tech startups in Silicon Valley and other technology centers.

The Kauffman Foundation study shows that the proportion of immigrant-founded companies nationwide has slipped from 25.3 percent to 24.3 percent since 2005.

The drop is more pronounced in Silicon Valley, where the percentage of immigrant-founded startups declined from 52.4 percent to 43.9 percent.