Reports: Immigrants Essential for Economy in Maine and U.S.

MeBIC partner, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, together with the Maine Development Foundation and Educate Maine have released the 2018 Making Maine Work report. The report lays out a blueprint of policy recommendations for the state’s next Governor and Legislature in order to keep Maine’s economy growing.

Unsurprisingly, the first goal cited in the report addresses Maine’s shrinking workforce.   With the increasing percentage of Mainers reaching retirement age and the state’s low birthrates, ensuring that Maine is able to attract, welcome, and integrate immigrants is identified as a top priority (see Goal A.4) to help counteract Maine’s looming labor crisis.

The report’s findings echo national data about the U.S.’s aging workforce and declining birthrates, as MeBIC has noted previously.  Recent writings continue to point out the need for immigrants nationwide if the nation’s economy is not doomed to shrink, such as this June 2018 report from the National Immigration Forum and this recent opinion piece in Barron’s.

MeBIC will continue to work with our partners to help ensure that Maine and the U.S. prioritize opening channels and not raising barriers to the immigrants we need for thriving communities and a vibrant economy.