Maine Gov. Janet Mills and a state lawmaker from Somalia unveiled a proposal Friday that seeks to solve the state's severe labor shortage by tapping into its rapidly growing immigrant community.
Maine has traditionally had one of the lowest immigrant populations in the country. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, only about 4% of the state's residents were born outside the United States
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The situation is gradually changing as tens of thousands of residents from Somalia and other African countries have settled in the state's largest cities, Portland and Lewiston. These arrivals increased the percentage of foreign-born residents by about 1 percentage point between 2000 and 2022, according to census figures.
Governor Janet Mills speaks at the inaugural ceremony at the Civic Center on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
The New Americans Bureau is proposed in a bill by state Rep. Deka Darak, the first Somali immigrant to serve as mayor of a U.S. city in 2021. She was elected to the Maine State Assembly last year. Darach and Mills say the bill addresses shortages in critical industries such as health care, education and construction.
“Attracting and retaining new workers is a priority for the future of Maine’s economy, so improving the way Maine introduces and integrates new Americans into our communities and economy will “It is seen as one of the key strategies to address power needs,” they said in a news release.
Under Darach's bill, one of the new office's main activities would be to provide immigrant employees with a path to professional certifications and licenses. The agency would also be responsible for “working with businesses to increase the hiring, retention and promotion of immigrant employees,” the proposal states.
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing on January 30th.
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At least 18 other states have offices or officials focused on welcoming immigrants into the workforce. Officials in New England are grappling with a housing shortage while welcoming a growing number of immigrants fleeing their homelands for the Northeast.
