The United States is grappling with a notable shortage of workers across various sectors – and we’re not immune to this in Eagle County. This shortage is exacerbated by demographic shifts such as an aging population and declining birth rates, which reduce the pool of available domestic labor. Key industries such as healthcare, technology, agriculture, and manufacturing are particularly affected, struggling to fill positions that are crucial for sustained productivity and economic expansion.

In the landscape of current economic vitality challenges facing businesses, the issue of a worker shortage has emerged as a critical concern with far-reaching implications for not only businesses and industries, but communities and the overall economy. Legal immigration reform presents itself as a viable and strategic solution to alleviate this worker shortage, offering both immediate and long-term benefits.

American employers of all sizes and across a host of industries are facing chronic workforce shortages that significantly limit the ability of their businesses to grow. The vast shortcomings of our legal immigration system are a key contributing factor as to why companies are struggling to hire and retain the talent they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. America is short on workers. As the U.S. Chamber’s America Works Data Center shows, there would still be 4 million open positions if every unemployed person in the country found a job.

The lack of workers and lack of immigration reform is having a very real impact on America’s small businesses. For many, it’s requiring them to delay their growth. American employers of all sizes across the country continue to face chronic labor shortages that significantly limit businesses’ ability to grow. Congress can help address this by strengthening the border and modernizing our antiquated immigration system to allow more legal immigrants to work in the U.S.

In light of the inaction in Congress, I was thrilled to see President Biden recently announce two significant policy changes that will provide relief to hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the United States. I welcome these policies with full recognition that they fall short of the need for comprehensive bi-partisan immigration reform.

The first program will allow undocumented immigrants with U.S. citizen spouses who have lived in the United States for at least 10 years to apply for “parole in place.” Paroled spouses of U.S. citizens are generally eligible to apply for a green card from within the U.S. There’s a common misconception that everyone who marries a U.S. citizen can automatically get a green card, but in reality, many must apply abroad, and risk being separated from their family for years.

The White House estimates that over 500,000 people could benefit, as well as 50,000 stepchildren of U.S. citizens who could apply as derivatives of their undocumented parent, representing the single biggest immigration relief program since DACA.

The second measure announced by the White House would ease the process for DACA beneficiaries and potentially other Dreamers to access high-skilled employment visas. This will allow businesses to keep their critical employees while providing DACA recipients an opportunity to continue to invest in their communities.

If fully implemented, these policies will help keep families together while also allowing immigrants to more fully contribute to our communities and economy. We need Congress to address the crisis at the border and the workforce shortage crisis that is helping to drive inflation and limiting economic growth.

Inaction is not an option. The time is now for bipartisan solutions.

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com