Proposal
To relieve the shortage of lesser-skilled labor ("essential workers") in the U.S.,
NRCA urges Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would
establish adequate legal avenues for foreign workers to fill current and future
labor shortfalls.
Background
The demographics of America are changing, and two incompatible trends have emerged:
the population is aging and there is an ever-decreasing fertility rate for native-born
Americans; the U.S. economy continues to grow, creating demand for labor at all
skill levels.
During the next decade, workers aged 55 and over will increase 49 percent while
workers between the ages of 25-54 will grow only 5 percent. In addition, by 2015
the fertility rate of American women will fall below "replacement level" to 1.91
children per woman. By contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects
the roofing industry alone will need 70,000 new workers by 2012 to keep pace with
the demand. With these demographic trends working against the U.S. economy, foreign
workers are necessary to help fill the jobs for services and products U.S. citizens
demand.
Problem
Current law provides construction companies the ability to hire foreign workers
through a temporary visa program (H-2B), which is capped at 66,000 workers per year.
The program is highly complex and all nonagricultural industries compete for these
visas. Furthermore, "green cards" are limited to 5,000 per year for essential workers—currently,
there is a five- to 10-year waiting list. These limited programs and the complexity
of immigration law make it difficult for roofing contractors nationwide to access
a sustainable supply of workers. NRCA's member companies face an enduring shortage
of workers because there are not enough domestic workers to meet the growing labor
demand facing the roofing industry.
Solution
Pass comprehensive immigration reform that:
- Addresses future economic needs and the existing undocumented work force already
in the U.S.
- Strengthens national security by screening foreign workers and creates a disincentive
for illegal immigration
- Strengthens the rule of law by establishing clear, sensible immigration laws that
are efficiently and vigorously enforced
- Creates an immigration system that functions efficiently for employers, workers
and government agencies
- Creates a program that allows hard-working, tax-paying undocumented workers to earn
legal status
- Ensures U.S. workers are not displaced by foreign workers
- Ensures all workers enjoy the same labor law protections
- Recognizes that enforcement alone will not solve the problem because reform must
do more than crack down on illegal immigration; that approach has failed every time
Contact Craig Brightup, NRCA's vice president of government relations at (202) 546-7584
or
cbrightup@nrca.net with
any questions.
(September 2007)