The Globalization Of Labor: Attorney Shayne Epstein On Alleviating Labor Shortages In The US 

Bridging the gap between the US labor shortage and the abundance of foreign workers is Immigration Attorney Shayne Epstein and his company The Epstein Group. Read on to learn more.  

It’s no surprise the pandemic is the leading horse in America’s current labor market state, something many have referred to as The Great Resignation. The enforced stay-at-home orders led to a shift in the way people work and as a result, paved the way for a new set of priorities:  work-life balance and remote work. Labor shortages in the US have grown into a severe problem leaving employers high and dry when it comes to hiring with a staggering 3.8 million people quitting their jobs in April alone.  

Yet rather than a complete dip in hiring rates, it’s the opposite – that is, for some jobs. Industries that require in-person attendance and extensive experience are being impacted, including Health Services, Transportation, Manufacturing, and more. These workspaces have seen the highest number of job openings with projections to increase.  

One part of the solution to the labor market dilemma is to expand recruitment internationally, to bring qualified labor to the US. Immigration Attorney Shayne Epstein has been doing just this with his company The Epstein Group, since 2001. Epstein has been practicing immigration law for 22 years, and as a member of the Florida Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, is an experienced lawyer in the immigration and international recruitment field. He’s also the co-founder of Overseas Manpower Solutions, a company specializing in international recruitment solutions for US employers unable to meet staffing needs with limited domestic supply in aviation, trucking, and healthcare industries.  

“Worldwide population growth has led to a boom in the global labor workforce. The US benefits from this by way of importing products, offshoring manufacturing, and drawing immigrants to the US to address workforce shortages,” Epstein says. And emigrating foreign workers from developing countries provides workforce advantages to developed countries in that the expertise gained in the US often makes its way back home.  

With unemployment at historically low levels, US employers have the opportunity to draw an experienced foreign workforce to the US. But the how is where things get tricky. 

“The lawful immigration system is an antique and hasn’t been modernized,” Epstein shares, but that’s where his firm comes in. “Our company’s focus has been the green card process because it’s very reliable and predictable. It works nearly every single time.” 

Epstein and his team assist US employers to navigate the complexities of international recruitment and are on a mission to alleviate labor shortages by filling vacant US positions with foreign workers, an approach to the US labor shortage often overlooked.  

But the reality is, America’s demographics are aging and more and more individuals are opting for remote work. Without the introduction of foreign workers to fill these positions, the US will experience an ongoing shortage for years.  

“Demographic shifts and aging populations mean countries like the U.S. will experience an ongoing shortage of workers and hiring will remain challenging for years,” said Svenja Gudell, Chief Economist at Indeed. According to the World Bank, the number of people working age, which is 15-65, will decline by more than 3%. But more than that, since offshoring began decades ago there has been a decline in skills and experience necessary for certain jobs, such as semiconductor manufacturing experience which has been almost entirely offshored and now reshoring semiconductor chip manufacturing has become a national security initiative.    

“The US has essentially lost the talent and skills necessary to manufacture semiconductor chips,” Epstein says, and that’s because offshoring and cost containment were primary concerns until the pandemic demonstrated the national importance of US manufacturing of semiconductor chips which operate everything from our phones, cars, and military equipment.  Occupations and industries requiring specialized skills and training are currently facing severe labor shortages. Improving the US educational system to produce qualified talent in manufacturing and semiconductor space is part of the solution as is recruiting the best experienced talent from around the world. In the finance, IT, and transportation industries, a mere 10% of the unemployed population has the necessary experience for related jobs. And that number is simply too low to cross train and fill the vacant shortage positions.  

“In the healthcare space more recently, you see a tremendous amount of healthcare worker turnover and burnout because we have a conflagration of different factors all applying pressure on an overburdened healthcare system with insufficient labor. We have both a growing and aging population in need of increasingly more healthcare at the same time as we are recovering from the pandemic, and have healthcare workers retiring in favor of less stressful, better paying work.,” Epstein discusses.  

And on top of it, society has learned how to move goods around the world and manufacture goods overseas at significant cost savings but in so doing has neglected the national interest of manufacturing certain essential products in the US, namely medical supplies and semiconductors. 

“We’re trying to bring those human resources back to the United States so that we can not only be competitive on a global level but also protect our own interests and essential supply chains,” he emphasizes.  

But nowadays, it’s difficult to find the technical skill of a law firm with these same intentions. “Unfortunately, in the immigration arena, most firms simply charge hourly for their expertise but lack a vested interest in the outcome.,” Epstein explains. But for him and his team at The Epstein Group, they have a long view and commit to seeing the process through, no matter the time frame. The Epstein Group fees largely pay for success contingent fees which protects US employers from significant legal fees prior to receiving the fruits of an international recruitment approach.   

The fuel powering Shayne Epstein and his company The Epstein Group’s engine is the help they provide companies and foreign workers by bridging the gap between the US labor shortage and highly qualified foreign workers. 

To get in touch with Epstein and his company, send an email to sepstein@theepsteingroup.org / rwcabral@theepsteingroup.org or call the office’s main phone number: 

USA (954) 781-1994 +1(561) 344-5157