How Will America Get the Workers It Needs?

In theory, robots may run the US economy one day, but humans still do most of the heavy-lifting in 2025 and for the foreseeable future. Stem the flow of workers into the economy, as Donald Trump has in the first nine months of his presidency, and eventually you’ll gum up the system.

For now, tariffs and high interest rates — as well as uncertainty about the potential of artificial intelligence — are colluding to dampen labor demand, which has allowed policymakers and employers to put off confronting this puzzle. But, in the long run, we’ll pay more for the goods and services we produce, or maybe just create less of them if the US doesn’t take seriously its rapidly aging population and establish policies that guarantee a steady pipeline of workers.