Employers Are Calling All Workers Off the Benches
But the U.S. simply doesn’t have enough people to keep its economy growing.
Immigration is not the problem; it’s the solution.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
As American society increasingly self-sorts itself into political tribes, there’s a growing and noteworthy exception to that trend: the labor market. A rising share of job growth is going to people who were not in the labor force. This climate forces employers to set aside historical practices and biases that may have excluded certain types of people from jobs. Political attitudes often follow the economy’s lead, raising the possibility that some ossified biases in U.S. culture could be the next to bend.
As reports of labor market shortages become more widespread, employers get more creative to attract and retain talent. Some relax dress codes, make scheduling more employee-friendly, or increase benefits like paid time off or continuing education. Others increase pay.