Lack of US Workers Is ‘Bigger Threat’ Than Inflation, Labor Secretary Walsh Says.
BLOOMBERG
(Bloomberg) -- Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said the US will eventually need to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, calling the lack of available workers to fill jobs a “bigger threat” to the economy than inflation.
“We don’t have enough workers in the United States of America to fill all the job openings that are out there,” Walsh said Tuesday in an interview with MSNBC. “It’s a bigger threat to our economy than inflation is at this point, than a recession, because we need to fill these jobs.”
Walsh pointed to immigration reform as a long-term solution to the issue. Lawmakers need to develop additional legal pathways for immigrants to apply for visas, and focus on how to use immigration “in a positive manner,” he said.
“If we had pathways where people could apply for visas and come into this country for three months, six months, nine months, maybe five years, then we wouldn’t have the challenges to the magnitude that we do at our borders in our country,” Walsh added.
(Bloomberg) -- Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said the US will eventually need to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, calling the lack of available workers to fill jobs a “bigger threat” to the economy than inflation.
“We don’t have enough workers in the United States of America to fill all the job openings that are out there,” Walsh said Tuesday in an interview with MSNBC. “It’s a bigger threat to our economy than inflation is at this point, than a recession, because we need to fill these jobs.”
Walsh pointed to immigration reform as a long-term solution to the issue. Lawmakers need to develop additional legal pathways for immigrants to apply for visas, and focus on how to use immigration “in a positive manner,” he said.
“If we had pathways where people could apply for visas and come into this country for three months, six months, nine months, maybe five years, then we wouldn’t have the challenges to the magnitude that we do at our borders in our country,” Walsh added.
