Input Stories

Manufacturing leaders and policymakers came together on Capitol Hill last week for a roundtable on one of the industry’s most pressing issues—a long-running shortage of skilled workers. The message from the industry was clear: manufacturers need a merit-based, employment-driven legal immigration system that can help satisfy our industry’s and our economy’s vital workforce needs.

The NAM says: In his introduction to the roundtable, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons outlined the stakes for the industry and the American economy.

• “We have more than 400,000 open jobs on our shop floors—and if we do not act, that number will grow to nearly 2 million by 2033.” He went on, “and that is before all of the positive benefits of regulatory modernization, renewing the 2017 tax reforms [in H.R. 1] and energy abundance policies. 
• “We proudly invest $32 billion a year to build and train the U.S. workforce. To fill every one of those jobs, we have to face the math.”
• “We need welders, we need machinists, technicians, core production workers, scientists and engineers. Our broken immigration system is not designed to provide manufacturers and our economy with the workers we need.”

The policy: Timmons said the Dignity Act, introduced by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), “will modernize our immigration system to match the needs and ambitions of America’s manufacturers.”

• “It makes our border even more secure.”
• “It implements E-Verify nationwide, giving manufacturers the certainty that every person they hire is here legally.”
• “It creates pathways for skilled talent.”
• “And it funds—through fees paid by immigrants, not citizens—a $70 billion investment in training America’s workers.”

The word from manufacturers: The manufacturers who attended the event shared their experiences with the broken immigration system and how it’s affecting their businesses.

• Fill needed jobs: “We expanded our business by adding a fourth production line last year and opened up 15 new roles. So far, we’ve only been able to fill eight of those jobs. That means I have shifts going unstaffed on two of the lines, and every 12 hours we are losing 48,000 pounds of production,” said the president of a Pennsylvania manufacturing company.
• Provide stability and competitiveness: “If the United States wants to lead in manufacturing, we need immigration policy that reflects workforce reality. Manufacturers are ready to invest, grow and create jobs, but we cannot do that without access to the people needed to run, support and expand our operations. A stronger, more practical immigration system would help address workforce shortages, support growth and give manufacturers the stability needed to stay competitive,” said the CEO and co-owner of an Illinois-based machining manufacturer.
• An industry running at full steam: “I employ a number of naturalized citizens, and my shop floor shows what a successful legal immigration system can look like. When we welcome people with legal pathways to work, they truly get to participate in the American Dream and help build this nation. We need to find a way to build on these successes and keep the engine of the American economy running at full steam,” said the president of an Arizona-based manufacturing company.

Rep. Salazar says: “Manufacturers keep America building, innovating and competing, and they are telling us clearly that our current immigration system is broken,” said Rep. Salazar after the event.

• “The Dignity Act empowers U.S. manufacturing, brings stability to our workforce and accountability to our system to ensure our industries can grow and create jobs here at home. With the support of the nation’s leading manufacturers, we are moving past the rhetoric and delivering a serious, bipartisan solution for American workers and businesses.” 

The last word: “When the NAM first endorsed the Dignity Act, you said it best, Rep. Salazar: ‘When the nation’s manufacturers speak, Washington should listen,’” said Timmons at the event. 

• “The nation’s manufacturers are here to speak. We are grateful, with your leadership, Washington is beginning to listen.”