North America Growth 2

Data shows that construction and agriculture are the two industries where documented and undocumented workers are roughly employed at a 1:1 ratio (4). Employment happens because there is a supply and demand met for different labor sectors, so if it could be regulated, it would grant stability to the hiring companies, the workers and the economy. If these industries are tied to those industries that the Department of Labor (DOL) estimates employ the highest concentration of Latino/Hispanic workers, it is possible to have a visa program for farming, construction and transportation.

In terms of agriculture, there could be a program like the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP in English or PTAT in Spanish) between Mexico and Canada, but amongst Mexico and the United States. Canada needs a solid agricultural sector but does not have enough citizens or Permanent Residents for it, so instead Canada hires temporary foreign workers (TFW). Considering the 1:1 ratio of documented-undocumented agricultural workers in the U.S., the U.S. could greatly benefit from a similar program.

The other occupations to focus have already existing and enforceable regulations in the U.S. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires workers to take different OSHA certification courses to work in the construction industry. The courses could be added to the requirements for working construction in Mexico, and workers who have obtained the required certification could then be available to apply for a temporary visa in the U.S. valid for as long as the project requires. Mexico’s Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare, and the Employment and Social Development Canada, could work with the U.S. DOL to align these standards; consequently, the region would have a supply of Mexican workers ready to rotate and be employed temporarily in the U.S. and Canada, granting North America a more stable labor force in this sector.

Transportation is also well regulated, and the reality is that there is a surplus in jobs in this sector. It is common knowledge that U.S. stakeholders in the trucking industry wish to maintain only-U.S. employees (5), but if the U.S. wishes to continue growing economically it has to understand that it is impossible to do so without help. The U.S. could issue a number of visas for immigrants to fill this much-needed void that will continue to grow in the near future. Commercial driver licenses (CDL) are already regulated federally, though issued by states DMVs, so aligning the requirements in the three USMCA countries for CDLs would be an easy step forward to provide the needed workers in this industry in the U.S.

The benefits of incorporating migrant workers currently living in the U.S. into the workforce or bringing Mexican temporary workers into the United States benefits the supply of workers and jobs in both countries. In fact, the benefit of having an established visa program for undocumented workers has been studied, and results show an increase in stable and higher wages, improvement in English language skills, increased interest in completing additional education and training, improvement in their health outcomes, and if they are enrolled in social security programs, taxable income would cover for such burden. In fact, The Center for American Progress estimates that providing a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants in the United States would boost U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by a cumulative total of $1.7 trillion over 10 years and create 438,800 new jobs. And this is just the benefit of regularizing undocumented workers.

wages, improvement in English language skills, increased interest in completing additional education and training, improvement in their health outcomes, and if they are enrolled in social security programs, taxable income would cover for such burden. In fact, The Center for American Progress estimates that providing a pathway to citizenship for all undocument