It is estimated that there are two million fewer immigrants in the United States than there would have been if the rate of arrival had remained the same as in previous years; a situation that affects the scarcity of certain products and impacts certain sectors.
The labor shortage in the United States reached a record 11.5 million job openings in March and is projected to reach 80 million by 2030, according to a report released by the American Immigration Council. The study also estimates that these job openings will be due to retirements, career changes, and people leaving the workforce.
Currently, the sectors most affected by the labor shortage are agriculture, construction, restaurants, and healthcare, among others. This has led them to take measures such as changes in food production and harvesting, increased restaurant prices, higher housing prices, and delays in delivery.
Additionally, the country is grappling with its highest inflation levels since the 1980s, and last year saw the highest job vacancy rate in the country in the past three years. The labor market is one of the factors contributing to the United States' highest inflation; other contributing factors include supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and rising fuel and commodity prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Finally, the occupations with the greatest growth between 2019 and 2021 were those with the highest proportions of immigrant personnel.
It is important to highlight the significance of immigrants in the many sectors of a country where they make their professional contributions, such as healthcare, technology, mathematics, cleaning and building maintenance, and so on. Immigrants are part of the driving force that moves and transforms a country.
This news report was compiled using information from: Telemundo, El Periódico USA, and Nuevo Herald.