Where Did Everyone Go?

Name an industry that’s running seamlessly right now. Travel sucks, restaurants are short-handed, stores are a mess, production is a disaster, the supply chain is backed up, etc., etc. The question is, where did everyone go?

Why did after ceasing life as we knew it for Covid completely screw up everything? Things appeared to be humming along, but now every industry is problematic. The Government dollars stopped us from a complete freefall, but now we are in a slo-mo tumble.

Where is the data to see where everybody went? New jobs? New cities? Or just a shift in what jobs people want?

Certain industries count heavily on laborThe pain and the stress of getting a working visa forced many to opt out and return to their homes. , people who show up every day. Could it just be that our workforce was relying on many people who are not American citizens? That it out and return to their homes.

The narrative that foreigners are taking our jobs is false, and perhaps the reality, foreign citizens keep our labor-intensive businesses propped up. Look at our labor stats. In 2020, 17% of the labor force was foreigners. The foreign-born population in our country continues to grow but unclear how many of them can work due to legal papers.

The other big issue is age and desire. The older population opted out during Covid leaving many businesses struggling. The working force of this generation (those 20-50) don’t necessarily want the jobs that were created post WW2.

There is a huge shortage of workers in industries needing human beings. Perhaps it is time to think about opening our borders, giving people opportunities to come and make better lives for themselves, and filling the jobs that boost our economy.