North Platte will soon be opening a state-of-the-art meat packing facility, Sustainable Beef LLC, employing 800 people. The plant will be competing against the four major corporations that control 85% of the market. Nebraska ranchers and cattle feeders were paid no more than any other producers, even though they produce the highest quality beef in the world. Cattle producers began organizing the plant in 2020, modeled after Nebraska’s ag coops. The business plans to process 1,500 cattle a day, with Walmart as their primary customer.
The economic impact on North Platte? It’s estimated the plant will bring more than $1.2 billion dollars to town, and support nearly 2,000 jobs due to the increase in population.
But where will these 800, or 2000, workers come from? Nebraska has a labor shortage, perhaps the worst in the nation. There are only 39 workers for every 100 jobs, according to the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.
President Trump has pledged to crack down on immigration. He demands that undocumented workers return to their country of origin. ICE has become active in many parts of our nation. There is no consensus figure on how many undocumented immigrants live in Nebraska, but CNN says estimates range from 30,000 to 75,000. Most of these are employed in meat packing plants in eastern Nebraska.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 9.1% of all jobs in Nebraska were held by immigrants in 2022; one out of every eleven jobs. Most experts place that at 10% now. 8% of our state’s population is foreign-born. Immigrants make up close to 9% of the working-age population in our state. The Census Bureau breaks this down according to industries. 25.3% of foreign-born workers are in manufacturing, compared to 8.4% of native-born workers. Construction, cleaning and maintenance, and health care also rely heavily on immigrant workers. 61% of meat packing workers are foreign-born.
The American Immigration Council reminds us that immigrants fill far more than entry-level jobs in Nebraska. 24% have college degrees! Immigrants are found in all occupations. Around 40% are naturalized citizens. As neighbors, business owners, taxpayers, and workers, immigrants are an integral part of Nebraska’s diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit all.
Because of Nebraska’s reliance on immigrants in the labor force, the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities has been created. Members include the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, unions, ag industry lobbyists, business executives, small business and farm owners, nonprofits, city governments, and activists. They believe it should be easier to legally immigrate to and work in the United States. They’re pushing federal reforms to improve pathways to permanent residency, to boost acceptance of refugees, and especially to increase the number of work visas.
The Alliance stresses that they don’t just want workers, they want immigrant families. Nebraska not only has a shortage of workers, we have a shortage of children. In 2022, there were 2,000 fewer Nebraska students enrolled in kindergarten than in the 12th grade, according to Nebraska Public Schools data. Our birth rates continue to drop, and many of our rural communities are struggling to keep schools and businesses open. Families also mean more stability, more income being spent in the community, more taxes being paid, and lower crime rates.
We all recognize the need to better control our borders. Why do so many immigrants come to Nebraska? Because their home countries are dangerous places to live. Because they don’t have economic opportunities to make their lives better. But mostly because we have jobs!