As election day rapidly approaches, a recent Gallup poll found immigration to be a top concern among American voters. This is in keeping with both party platforms, of which immigration has been a central issue throughout this campaign cycle. While we can all agree that we are in dire need of change, we must consider the many facets and implications of immigration reform policy and come to a bipartisan agreement on a path forward.
One such facet is that of American businesses and our economy. Speaking of the industry that I know best, migrant workers play a significant role in construction, manufacturing and heavy equipment distribution operations. Roughly 30% of workers in the United States construction industry — and up to 40% of workers in states like California and Texas — are immigrants. These workers are essential in industries that were hit hard at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and are still on the path to recovery. For instance, during the early days of the pandemic, about 1.4 million manufacturing jobs were lost and, as of January this year, 622,000 openings are yet to be filled.
But even before the pandemic threw a wrench in our workforce pipeline, the construction industry has always been highly dependent on foreign-born labor from South and Central America. This is where political leaders must be willing to work across the aisle and pass legislation that ensures that any immigration reform policy takes into account the dependence our economy has on legal immigrant labor which can be accomplished through circular migration.
Not a new concept, circular migration happens when international workers have clear pathways to legally enter a country for work for a limited amount of time and, according to the United Nations, is “often seen as a win-win-win proposition,” because it alleviates labor needs and increases economic production in the destination country, while helping provide unemployment relief and skill building for the country of origin. Embracing policies that encourage these pathways to migration can help critical industries.
Construction accounts for approximately 4.5% of the U.S. GDP. As a third-generation family business in heavy equipment distribution and construction operating across five states, our Utah-based company, our customers and many businesses have struggled to find workers, from specialized to low-wage labor, to meet growing demands. Unfortunately, when immigrants are unable to obtain work visas due to bureaucratic hurdles, companies across multiple sectors struggle to meet contract obligations and market demands. The lack of a qualified labor pool to operate complex machinery and the lack of available labor negatively impacts every part of our economy.
Migrants are not taking Americans’ jobs. The reality is, there are more than enough roles in construction and manufacturing that we can fill, and we need migrants working legally alongside American workers.
We’ve seen circular migration policies work before. For instance, Pennsylvania Representative Lloyd Smucker’s Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act proposal would enable immigrants to come to the U.S. for work and return to their home countries without seeking permanent residency or citizenship. This approach benefits workers with new opportunities and employers who need to fill critical labor gaps in industries such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.
The construction industry alone is expected to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand by 2025. Without taking action to develop meaningful, bipartisan solutions that boost our economy and help reform our broken immigration system, we risk negatively impacting the U.S. economy in ways that will take years to recover from.
More needs to be done to curb illegal immigration and implement policies that strengthen our border and keep our communities safe — here in Utah and across the U.S. Promoting policies that make it more practical for migrants to enter our country legally, in manageable numbers, and offering necessary skills to fill labor gaps can actually help incentivize the types of migration that are beneficial to our country and economy — and disincentivize an unmanaged border.
Circular migration isn’t a new idea. It’s been a part of the global economy for decades, providing flexible and sustainable options for promoting the flow of labor when needed. Now, by embracing that and other common-sense immigration reforms the U.S. has the opportunity to address its labor shortages, boost economic growth and remain competitive in a fluctuating global market.On this and other border and immigration challenges, I urge our new senator and our members of Congress to come to the table with the solutions so many Utahns, and Americans, want. The future of the U.S. economy and companies like my own depend on a bipartisan approach to immigration that benefits businesses, workers and communities alike.
(Jonathan Campbell) Jonathan Campbell is the co-CEO of Campbell Companies, a Utah-based equipment distribution business.
Jonathan Campbell is the co-CEO of Campbell Companies, a Utah-based equipment distribution business serving the construction, mining and energy industries across the Western United States.
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