Does The United States Need More Immigrant Construction Labor?

Construction employers in Florida say there's a reason the U.S. needs to allow migrant labor to enter the country and work: Americans aren't interested. That's according to this report in the Tampa Bay Tribune: ("Builders push for visas as Americans eschew construction work," by Michael Sasso).

Reports the Tribune: "A proposal to create a new class of temporary visa for unskilled laborers is tucked into the massive immigration reform issue. The immigration bill that passed the Senate but hasn't yet gone through the House of Representatives would issue up to 200,000 such low-skill visas a year. Of those, a maximum of 15,000 could go to workers in the construction industry — a figure that a commercial builders' trade group, Associated Builders and Contractors, thinks is far too low."

Florida employers are of two minds about the issue, however, the paper reports: "For example, the trade group Associated General Contractors' Greater Florida chapter doesn't want more immigrant visas in principle, said chapter executive director Matt Boles. But if the government is going to issue up to 200,000 regardless, construction needs a bigger piece of the pie, Boles said."