On April 29, 2025, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the online event Pathways to Work – Labor Migration in the Western Hemisphere, bringing together experts and former policymakers to discuss the role of legal labor migration channels in addressing growing labor shortages across the region. The event highlighted ongoing efforts to design safe, regulated, and rights-based labor pathways that respond to demographic and economic shifts while enhancing protections for migrant workers.
The conversation opened with remarks by Rebecca Bill Chavez, president and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, who noted the timeliness of the topic as global mobility reaches unprecedented levels. She emphasized that, when managed effectively, labor migration can be a powerful tool to address workforce gaps in the Americas. Chavez cited recent programs across the region as examples of what is possible when governments work to establish fair and transparent migration channels. She stressed the need for greater regional cooperation and dialogue to scale and strengthen these efforts.
Eric Jacobstein, non-resident senior fellow at the Dialogue and founder and principal at Puentes Global Advisory, moderated the discussion and introduced the event’s central theme: the challenge of finding the right balance between lawful migration pathways and effective border enforcement. He referenced research by economist Michael Clemens, which argues that overly restrictive migration policies carry significant economic costs—especially in regions with high labor demand and an available supply of workers. Jacobstein emphasized that countries are most successful when they pair border enforcement with employment-based visa programs that ensure workers’ rights.
Dany Bahar, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, discussed how long-term demographic trends, such as aging populations and declining birth rates, are contributing to labor shortages in many economies. In the United States, he noted, job vacancies persist across sectors, including healthcare, transportation, and technology. Bahar presented findings linking increases in unauthorized U.S. border crossings with job availability, highlighting that migrants are responding to real demand in the labor market. He called for a new migration system that reflects these structural needs and described ongoing efforts to map local and sectoral labor demand across the U.S. as a basis for informing future migration policy.
Marcela Escobari, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former White House Coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, expanded on regional efforts to create labor mobility programs that match skills with demand. Drawing on her experience coordinating the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, she explained that many countries in the hemisphere are actively exploring or expanding temporary labor initiatives. She underscored the need for a more integrated and dynamic labor market in the Americas and globally, emphasizing that such policies reduce irregular migration, benefit local economies, and help counter criminal recruitment networks.
Escobari pointed to strong empirical evidence of the benefits of lawful labor migration, noting that communities with access to H-2 visas experience substantially lower rates of irregular migration. These programs, she added, also create jobs for U.S.-born workers and allow both migrants and their families to build more stable futures. She highlighted an often-overlooked human dimension: migrants’ pride in being able to work legally, support their families, and return home with safety and dignity.
One of the region’s most prominent examples is Guatemala’s labor mobility program. Rafael Rodríguez, former Minister of Labor and Social Welfare of Guatemala (2020–2024), who helped establish and expand the program, shared key insights. While initially sending just a few dozen workers abroad annually, the program now facilitates legal employment for thousands of Guatemalans through collaboration with the U.S., Canada, and other regional governments. Rodríguez outlined five actions to enhance the program’s effectiveness: increasing the number of visas, streamlining the application process, expanding sectoral eligibility, promoting fair competition among employers, and reinforcing worker protections.
Responding to questions about labor standards, Rodríguez emphasized the importance of bilateral communication and enforcement. While frameworks and agreements exist, he noted, much of the work lies in ensuring compliance on the ground and protecting workers who report abuse. Effective communication between governments, he added, is essential to maintaining the credibility and integrity of labor migration programs.
Audience questions focused on the effects of labor visa programs on domestic employment and wages. Panelists noted that programs such as H-2A and H-2B remain capped well below demand and that evidence shows they complement, rather than displace, U.S. workers. In sectors facing acute labor shortages, such as agriculture and hospitality, migrants often fill jobs that would otherwise remain vacant. Panelists stressed that lawful migration can create upward mobility for both migrants and native-born workers. While migration policy is often viewed through the lens of labor market competition, the evidence shows that migrant workers frequently complement domestic labor. When coupled with adequate protections and regional cooperation, well-designed migration pathways can support economic growth, expand opportunity, and reduce irregular flows.
