Small Businesses

Let’s be honest, the economy has been struggling to recover since the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic resulted in an exodus of the american workforce and that has put a strain on small businesses. 1.09 million Americans lost their lives to Covid-19. An additional 1.5 million workers left the workforce due to early retirement and a decrease in immigration. Nebraska’s unemployment rate is at 2.6 percent. That means, there aren’t a lot of Nebraskans in the workforce in need of employment. We need to embrace the fact that policies that drive young Nebraskans out of the state, disincentivize new graduates from wanting to move here, and discourage immigrants from wanting to reside in Nebraska are bad for business.

If we want to see a growth in the workforce, we need to incentivize migration. Towns in Nebraska are consistently rated in the top best places to live. I might be a little biased, but I tend to agree. I am sure with some shifts in policy, we can encourage more migration to Nebraska as well as encourage young people to stay here. These policy shifts must include: diversity and inclusion, making two working-parent households a possibility through childcare and flex schedules, welcoming immigrants, and partnerships with community colleges and apprenticeship programs.