The economy is rebounding so quickly there are not enough Americans to fill every position.
There were 531,000 new jobs added in October alone, and hourly earnings increased by 4.0% year-on-year. Leisure and hospitality industries led the pack in job growth last month, creating 164,000 jobs.
In October 2021, unemployment rates fell to an all-time low since the start of the pandemic at 4.6%.
The decreased unemployment rate is attributed in part to the decreasing number of COVID infections. At the end of August, the 7-day average of new COVID infections topped 153K while that number has since dropped down to 72K. The decreasing cases have encouraged many to venture back out to the malls, restaurants, concerts, and other public places ahead of the cold winter months and holiday season.
As the economy has rebounded, generous government-funded jobless benefits have ended and nearly all schools across the country have reopened for in-person learning, allowing parents to get back to work.
As the economy continues to rebound, there are more jobs available than there are Americans to fill them, especially in low-wage jobs. Immigrants are standing by ready to fill those positions.
The US needs about 10 million people to fill the current job openings nationwide — and only 8.4 million Americans are actively seeking work.
One of the industries currently facing the worst labor shortages is construction. Officially, immigrants account for nearly a quarter of construction workers, but that number is likely higher. By allowing more immigrants to come to the United States, the country can begin eliminating the labor shortage.