Another View: Legal immigration boosts America’s innovation advantage

America’s economic strength rests on its ability to attract talent, reward hard work and out-innovate global competitors. Today, as the country faces labor shortages and an increasingly competitive world economy, carefully controlled immigration is not just an economic policy choice — it is a strategic necessity.

If the United States wants to maintain its innovation edge, it must continue attracting the world’s hardest workers and best minds while building a lawful, modern immigration system.

The Society for Human Resource Management warns that the U.S. economy is on track to face worker shortages in the millions over the next decade. These gaps span industries from trucking and health care to advanced manufacturing, technology and research. When companies cannot find the workers they need, projects stall, productivity slows and opportunities move elsewhere. Immigration alone will not solve America’s workforce problem, but it is an effective tool to deepen the labor pool.

The Congressional Budget Office projected in 2024 that higher immigration would increase the U.S. labor force by 5.2 million people by 2033 and substantially raise economic output, adding trillions of dollars to the gross domestic product over the next decade. Such expansion would support stronger growth, higher productivity and more opportunities for workers at every level of the economy.

Research also suggests that well-designed immigration policies can raise wages rather than suppress them. A 2025 analysis from a Penn Wharton budget model found that expanding visas for college-educated immigrants could lead to faster economic growth, lower federal debt and higher wages across income groups. These findings show that innovation-driven immigration can benefit American workers by creating industries and expanding economic output.

Newcomers also drive business formation in the United States. While immigrants make up 14% of the population, they own a fifth of U.S. businesses, according to the Small Business Administration. Immigrants and children of immigrants own one-third of American enterprises.

Legal immigration does more than fill and create jobs; it powers innovation. Many of America’s most important industries, including artificial intelligence and advanced medical research, depend on highly skilled talent drawn from around the globe. Engineers and researchers from abroad contribute to new technologies, start businesses and help keep the United States at the forefront of scientific and economic progress. With other countries aggressively competing for top talent, failing to modernize immigration pathways risks ceding America’s leadership in emerging technologies and industries.

Of course, Americans expect an immigration policy that protects borders and serves the national interest. But throttling immigration cannot address the realities of a changing workforce or the global competition for talent. The smarter approach is to modernize legal pathways that align with economic needs.

One example is the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act, which would allow foreign workers to be employed in areas and industries where jobs are hard to fill. The bill, introduced in September, would address labor shortages in industries such as health care, hospitality and construction by offering a three-year, renewable non-immigrant visa. The program would initially be capped at 65,000 visas. Policies like this recognize that economic growth and a lawful immigration system are not mutually exclusive goals.

The United States stands at a crossroads. Policymakers can either modernize immigration to reflect workforce realities and global competition or allow outdated systems to slow economic growth and weaken America’s innovation advantage.

Carefully controlled immigration, rooted in law, guided by economic needs and focused on attracting the world’s best talent, offers a path that strengthens the economy and ensures the country’s technological edge.

Randall Bloomquist is the owner of Bloomquist Media, a writing and editorial services firm. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. ©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC