PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 10, 2023
Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King are working to shorten the time period for asylum seekers to obtain work authorization from years to just 30 days. In Maine, the forest products industry sustains about 33,000 jobs. The industry will need about 5,000 additional workers by 2030. The future of our industry is bright. But our success will depend on our ability to find enough workers to fill these jobs. Allowing legal asylum seekers to enter the workforce more quickly could be an important part of the demographic solution for our industry and others. ~ Krysta West, Maine Forest Products Council