In June 2021, Colorado’s General Assembly took a vital step forward by passing HB21-1150 with bipartisan support, creating the Colorado Office of New Americans (ONA). In creating the office, the state recognized the importance of the social and economic inclusion of its immigrant population, which comprises nearly 10 percent of the state’s population. Leveraging the […]
Grappling with an aging population and acute labor shortages, the Portland Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2018 with the goal of bolstering the local workforce through immigrant and refugee economic inclusion. For years, business leaders in Portland and throughout Maine had been sounding the alarm on a […]
In April, the U.S. Department of Labor released its Bridging the Gap for New Americans study of the barriers and opportunities facing internationally educated immigrants and refugees seeking to resume their careers in the United States. The study provides needed guidance for local, state, and federal stakeholders to further strengthen the inclusion of these workers […]
In the United States, key regulated industries like education, engineering, and health care face significant labor shortages that are predicted to deepen in the coming years. Experts in the health care area alone project a shortfall of over 900,000 nurses by 2030 and up to 86,000 physicians by 2036 as the country’s population ages and […]
In 2023, states across the country passed legislation to advance the economic and career mobility of immigrants and refugees (the recent WES 2023 State Policy Report highlights these reforms). During 2024 state legislative sessions, policymakers have renewed opportunities to propose measures that bolster state economic interests and the economic mobility of immigrants and refugees. Labor […]
