Topeka, Kansas, USA, labor shortage due to population decline
Approximately 17% of Topeka City’s population of 126,000 are Hispanic.
About 160 Ukrainians also settled in Topeka City.
While most areas in the United States are pursuing anti-immigrant policies, the city of Topeka, Kansas, is trying to accommodate immigrants. This is because there is a shortage of labor.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 1st (local time), Topeka, a city in Kansas, USA, like other small cities, is accepting immigrants due to a labor shortage due to population decline and low unemployment. This is because it is difficult to find people to fill about 6,600 vacant jobs.
“It makes sense to try to attract immigrants along with Americans living in other cities,” said Topeka City Mayor Michael Padilla, a Democrat in a predominantly Republican state.
“For a community to thrive, you have to have a diverse community,” he argued. “You have to have people who are willing to work here and make this a city where they want to raise their children and build a career.”
The city of Topeka recruited residents through the ‘Choose Topeka’ campaign in 2019 with the economic development organization ‘The Greater Topeka Partnership’.
Last year, we focused especially on immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries. As the city’s Hispanic population increased, Spanish-speaking immigrants were intensively recruited.
In fact, according to data from the Greater Topeka Partnership, about 17% of the city of Topeka’s population of 126,000 people are Hispanic. Over the past 10 years, the overall population has increased by about 1%, but the share of the Hispanic population has increased by about 25%.
Through the campaign, the city of Topeka provided up to $15,000 (approximately 20 million won) per person to immigrants for relocation expenses.
Sean Dixon, vice president of the Greater Topeka Partnership, said, “To date, the cost of marketing has been approximately 10% of the U.S. Tourism Organization’s marketing budget.”
Additionally, a refugee aid organization is also working in Topeka City to help Ukrainians immigrate to the United States. In fact, it is known that more than 160 Ukrainians have settled through this organization.
Meanwhile, ahead of the presidential election in November, American society is paying attention to the candidates’ immigration policies. Some have pointed out that U.S. President Joe Biden has caused social problems by accepting immigrants.
In some Democratic-led cities, such as New York, Chicago, and Denver, concerns are growing about the increase in the number of immigrants and the resulting burden on social infrastructure.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.