Falls City hopes to grow workforce 'organically'

FALLS CITY – Falls City economic developer Lucas Froeschl downplayed immigration as a plausible solution to fill local workforce gaps during Monday’s city council meeting.

He said while some of the country's largest companies have the resources to bring in immigrants, smaller host communities may not be ready.

A Nebraska Examiner story in May says Nebraska’s nation-lowest unemployment rate and consistent reporting of over 50,000 open jobs makes it glaringly apparent the state won’t be able to meet its workforce needs without more immigrants.

 A Nebraska Chamber Foundation report says Nebraska’s workforce challenge is in need of a national solution. The report says if national reform is not effective, Nebraska should position itself to recruit immigrants who are already in the United  States.

The report advocates for an assessment of local communities’ ability to receive immigrants, including education systems, merchandise carriers and ways to overcome language barriers. The report says the new workers will need a path to full citizenship, as well as support from schools, churches and other organizations.

Froeschl said Falls City EDGE owes it to its employers to consider immigration as a way to fill the workforce gap, but he said the community may not have the support infrastructure needed.

Froeschl: “There is this matrix that Nebraska Chamber has put out that shows how to ready your town, if you’re interested in something like that, and we’re just not there. We need workforce, we know that. If we keep working on our housing, I think we can grow our workforce organically, if you will.

“There are other communities that are going to make the immigration thing work, but right now, if we just keep working on our housing, we should be able to hopefully grow our workforce organically.”

“For the benefit of our employers we continue to look at this a , but immigration is a real big challenge and a lot of the other Nebraska communities are kind of seeing that.”

The state chamber report suggests that Nebraska broadcast its intention to be the most welcoming place in America for foreign-born residents.

Nebraska chamber.com immigration and America’s workforce shortage: A Nebraska challenge in need of a national solution in pathways for citizenship.

https://www.nechamber.com/uploads/1/3/1/6/131641147/ne_chamber_foundation_2024_immigration___americas_workforce_shortage_study.pdf