The Biden administration of the United States has reportedly appealed to Congress for an overhaul of the nation’s “outdated” immigration system, as stated by the White House on Monday (August 28).
In a press release issued by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, it was stated, “This is an outdated immigration system. We’ve asked the Congress to update our woefully outdated immigration system.” The statement emphasized the need for modernization, especially for the temporary visa programs that have not seen updates for over twenty years.
Jean-Pierre highlighted the existing visa regulations in the US to underscore the urgency for reform in the visa system. According to the present rules, individuals holding specific temporary visas only have a 60-day window to secure a new job, apply for a different visa category, or prepare to leave the country.
“The Congress needs to do their job and pass legislation, updating our immigration laws to reflect the needs of where we are, where we are currently in this 21st century economy,” Jean-Pierre stated.
She further asserted that President Joe Biden had shown a serious commitment to this matter since the beginning of his administration. However, even as the Biden administration approaches its third year in office, the reforms are yet to be introduced.
The proportion of immigrants in the US workforce has been consistently increasing. In May, the percentage of foreign-born workers in the US reached a record high of 18.7%, marking a trend that has steadily risen since 2010.
With a substantial number of unfilled job positions in the market, businesses are grappling to fill these vacancies. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from June revealed that there were 3.6 million more job openings than unemployed workers available to fill them.
Immigration has played a significant role in bridging this employment gap, and it is expected to further alleviate the shortage in the upcoming months. An analysis by Jan Hatzius, the chief economist at Goldman Sachs, predicts that around 500,000 immigrants will join the workforce within the next three quarters.
Amidst a labor crisis in the US, where 5.8 million workers remain unemployed, economists argue that not all these positions can be occupied solely by domestic individuals.
Although the number of open positions in June slightly decreased from its peak in March 2022, it remains at one of the highest counts of job openings in recent decades. David J. Bier, Associate Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, noted that leaving these jobs unfilled translates to a loss of approximately $1 trillion in annual production, underscoring the economic implications of these vacancies.
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