We Can’t Fill 11.3 Million Open Jobs without More Legal Immigration

Story by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed there were 11.3 million job openings in January, little changed from 11.4 million the month before.

“There are 4.75 million more open jobs today than there are people looking for work. One reason for the shortfall is decreased legal immigration. It is past time for Congress to act to modernize our broken immigration system,” says U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley.

“As a result of COVID and other policy changes, there are one million fewer college educated immigrants in the United States today. We can’t get inflation under control, unclog our supply chains, or fully grow our economy and remain competitive unless we welcome more people into our country to fill these jobs.”

The U.S. Chamber recently joined a diverse group of industries and organizations across the political spectrum in announcing a new coalition, The Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus. The coalition of business, faith, and advocacy leaders is working to build support for bipartisan legislative solutions that provide permanent legal protections and other reforms for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and agricultural workers.

For the latest statistics capturing the current state of the workforce, visit the America Works Data Center. The Data Center is part of America Works, a partnership of the U.S. Chamber and U.S. Chamber Foundation mobilizing industry and government to swiftly address America’s worker shortage crisis by providing research on underlying workforce issues, policy recommendations, and practical workforce solutions for businesses.