A recent Wall Street Journal article explains how labor shortages within the US workforce are being filled by migrants. America needs to fix its immigration system to make it workable for employers––a move that would benefit this country tremendously.
Here is a repost of the recent May 22 article:
Immigrants’ Share of the U.S. Labor Force Grows to a New High
Native-born workers’ slice is shrinking as retirements rise and population growth slows
By Gabriel T. Rubin and Rosie Ettenheim
Foreign-born workers’ share of the U.S. labor force rose last year to the highest level in 27 years of records, as labor demand surged and the pandemic faded.
People born outside the U.S. made up 18.1% of the overall labor force, up from 17.4% the prior year and the highest level in data back to 1996, the Labor Department said in its annual report on foreign-born workers. The number of immigrants in the labor force—those working or actively looking for jobs—rose by 1.8 million, or 6.3%, to 29.8 million in 2022.
More foreign-born people joined the labor force than native-born Americans, accounting for more than half of the 3.1 million overall gain last year, the report said. There were roughly 164 million workers age 16 or older in the U.S. labor force last year.
Sluggish U.S. population growth and accelerating baby-boomer retirements during the pandemic created labor shortages in many industries, increasing job opportunities for foreign-born workers.
Immigrants Buoy Labor Force
Overall labor-force participation—the share of people over 16 who are working or seeking work—has recently increased but remains below prepandemic levels. “Any real gains we’re seeing in the labor force are coming from immigrants—they’re a buoy,” said Elizabeth Crofoot, senior economist at Lightcast, a labor-market data firm.
The Labor Department’s report was based on a monthly survey of 60,000 households and doesn’t break down foreign-born workers by country of origin or legal status. The figures include legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and temporary workers, and immigrants lacking permanent legal status.
Source Credit: Wall Street Journal
