Labor Mobility
Few issues are as crucial to the bilateral relationship as immigration. Here lie some of the most salient challenges but also some of the richest opportunities for the bilateral relationship. Indeed, for several decades now, managing immigration has been a significant concern for policymakers, academics, and civil society on both sides of the border.
Moreover, the opinion of the United States concerning Mexico and vice versa, and general perceptions of the bilateral relationship itself, are very much influenced by what happens in migration and how governments respond to it. This is why, as in other areas of the bilateral relationship, the USMF intends to promote informed dialogue between Mexico and the United States.
With USCMA well into its second year, a series of measures focused on facilitating bilateral labor mobility could help both countries capitalize on their unique geographical connection, complementary demographics, and current labor market dynamics. In Mexico and the United States, both today’s labor gaps and the jobs of the future require stakeholders on both sides of the Río Bravo (Grande) to come together to eliminate barriers to labor mobility. These measures, alongside the establishment of an institutionalized dialogue around the bilateral immigration framework, represent a unique opportunity to secure regional growth, competitiveness, and prosperity in North America.
