In February, the US economy lost 92,000 jobs. Unemployment rose to 4.4%. Economists expected moderate growth. Instead, job losses were concentrated in construction, manufacturing, restaurants, administrative services and health care.
But a serious crisis is not a bad month. It’s a structural change that’s been in the works for years.
The workforce is shrinking – and fast
American birth rates have fallen below replacement levels. The U.S. Treasury Department projects that the U.S. population under the age of 24 will decrease every year for the next three decades. And according to a Brookings Institution analysis, total immigration to the United States turned negative in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century.
The number of people of working age is decreasing. The pipeline of future workers is shrinking. Immigration is declining. Together, these trends point to a growing labor force that threatens economic growth, global competitiveness, and financial stability in the coming decades.
America needs a two-pronged workforce strategy: building the workforce of tomorrow and activating the talent that is ready to contribute today.
The talent is already there
About half of newly arrived, work-authorized immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree. Many are engineers, health care professionals, financial experts, and educators – with the added possibility of global experience. Millions struggle to find work that matches their abilities.
Yet major barriers keep them out: Licensing barriers, limited professional networks, and hiring biases keep trained professionals out of the jobs they’ve spent years building that aren’t related to skills. The result is a neurologist who runs a rideshare company. Civil engineer racks. A cashier who takes warehouse shifts. Each of them represents not only an individual loss, but a loss to the industries that need their skills – and the communities that need their productivity.
These are not plumbing problems. The talent is trained and ready. It’s getting worse.
What It Looks Like When It Works
As CEO of Upwardly Global, I have seen this gap up close. Another story that stuck with me is that of Jawad. A Tunisian-trained nurse, she spent years driving Uber and working in warehouses after moving to Chicago — even though the local hospital was 20 nurses short.
His records and the hospital’s requirements were both there. There was no way. After we put her in touch with a job coach and a board exam specialist, she got a job in that hospital’s ICU.
Immigrants looking for jobs like Jawad earn as much as $9,000 a year when they first come to us. After our training and resources help them land a job that matches their skills, their average starting salary is over $66,000 – $57,000 for personal growth per year. This money flows directly into consumer spending, tax revenue, and GDP growth. Across tens of thousands of jobs, our alumni have contributed billions to the American economy.
What Business Leaders Can Do Now
My work with college students and immigrant professionals across America has given me unique insight into the underserved talent we need to drive the productivity and innovation needed to conquer the world.
Colleges and universities remain among America’s most powerful engines of workforce development – building the talent pipeline for the next decade. But that takes time. Employers don’t have to wait.
- Evaluate candidates based on what they can do, not where their credentials were issued
- Partner with workforce development agencies that connect you with immigrant professionals already in your market
- Invest in colleges that train tomorrow’s workforce
Companies that embrace these trends are not waiting for the talent market to change. It will be the reason why it does.
#America #labor #crisis #solution #breaking #Good #luck