Thread: The Fact is Clear; Labor Shortage is a Reality

Focus on Agriculture

For the week of December 17, 2007
The Fact is Clear; Labor Shortage is a Reality
By Kevin Rogers



I appreciate that facts don’t sell – emotion does, and there is nothing more emotional than immigration these days. Because there are so many aspects and implications related to immigration in today’s world, this is understandable. But facts are troublesome things, and they won’t go away, no matter how much we deny them. The need for new labor in this country is a reality.

Next year, for the first time, we will have more citizens leaving the work force than joining it. Over the next few years, the number of Americans age 55 and older will grow five times faster than growth in the work force. One-fourth of the population, more than 76 million people, will leave the work force over the next 20 years. So we know we have jobs to fill, yet native-born workers will not be here to fill them.

Our nation is nearly at full employment. In agriculture, we have permanent and seasonal needs in particular areas, but that does not necessarily correspond to areas of the country where people are looking for work. We are increasingly educated. We are aging rapidly, and Americans have plentiful employment prospects outside of agriculture.

There is a labor shortage in this country, for both entry-level and skilled workers. It exists. Employers know it. Simply paying more will not increase the pool of native-born workers. In Yuma County, Ariz., alone, we need 20,000 workers a day to harvest fresh vegetables in the next few months.

We need to end the argument about whether Americans will or will not do certain jobs. Employers know the reality – Americans simply are not available to do many of these jobs. Judith Gans at the University of Arizona puts it very well when she states, “Demographic trends have divided the world into two economic ‘camps.’ One is characterized by mature, immigrant-receiving economies with aging, slow-growing populations. The other consists of developing, immigrant-sending economies with younger, more rapidly growing populations. Legal, as well as illegal, migration by people moving for economic reasons is a world-wide phenomenon.â€

Then fill those jobs with SELF-SUPPORTING LEGAL IMMIGRANTS!

Those illegally here MUST be deported, no ifs, ands or buts!

Once they are deported, bring in immigrants from countries such as Dafur, the TRULY needy! No more Mexican immigrating here, they have exceeded their quote by millions!

We do NOT need any unskilled laborers who cannot support themselves and their ever growing families on their meager salaries. They do NOT contribute anything to the economy, they suck it dry!

It would be more cost effective to pay Americans $50 an hour to pick crops than to have cheap labor do it and collect free benefits for themselves and their families!!

NO MORE!!!

I am sick of hearing this. Most of the businesses that complain there's a shortage is in agriculture, and that's because the foreign workers have moved on to take better paying jobs like road construction and building. These are jobs they are taking away from the American people. We already have guest worker programs, but the problem is, these people are not watched to see if they stay in the jobs they were brought here to do. They move on to other jobs, accept a lower wage, and push the American out. Simple as that.

This is of course complete BS

Before we had 30 million illegals , these jobs still got done

This is part of the lib welfare state problem , get some of these people
off the public dole and let them work

Also our prisons are full, put them to work

Remember after we freed the slaves , the cotton still got picked

Originally Posted by tinybobidaho

I am sick of hearing this. Most of the businesses that complain there's a shortage is in agriculture, and that's because the foreign workers have moved on to take better paying jobs like road construction and building. These are jobs they are taking away from the American people. We already have guest worker programs, but the problem is, these people are not watched to see if they stay in the jobs they were brought here to do. They move on to other jobs, accept a lower wage, and push the American out. Simple as that.

Yup, see this:

http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back907.html

Originally Posted by tinybobidaho

I am sick of hearing this. Most of the businesses that complain there's a shortage is in agriculture, and that's because the foreign workers have moved on to take better paying jobs like road construction and building. These are jobs they are taking away from the American people. We already have guest worker programs, but the problem is, these people are not watched to see if they stay in the jobs they were brought here to do. They move on to other jobs, accept a lower wage, and push the American out. Simple as that.

Right now Ag has an open ended guest worker program

Trouble is they don't want to pay these people or be responsible for them , they would rather pay the illegals peanuts and make us cover all the rest like education , their health care and other social costs

I need a job !

Originally Posted by Populist

Originally Posted by tinybobidaho

I am sick of hearing this. Most of the businesses that complain there's a shortage is in agriculture, and that's because the foreign workers have moved on to take better paying jobs like road construction and building. These are jobs they are taking away from the American people. We already have guest worker programs, but the problem is, these people are not watched to see if they stay in the jobs they were brought here to do. They move on to other jobs, accept a lower wage, and push the American out. Simple as that.

Yup, see this:

http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back907.html

The Discovery channel did a special on this a few months ago ,

There is very very little that can't be picked by machine now including tomatoes and grapes

I agree with all of the comments posted. There is no labor shortage; just a shortage of honesty, integrity and patriotism among our representatives, corporate elite, and special interest groups who profit from cheap illegal labor.

Total crap...just this morning on c-span the subject was homeless and hunger in America, in Florida alone their are over 80,000 homeless, helloooo they probably need a job!! Get them out working!

Imagine what the total for the whole country is!!