Do most people understand why we celebrate “Labor Day” each year? How many know about that first work strike that started Sept. 5, 1882?
They were making a statement about Americans working 12-hour days in factories for seven days a week alongside their kids. Fast forward to 2026 when we have so much government regulation to “protect” the employees that a labor force is hard to come by. Interestingly, one of the great conversations I had this year was with Joe Coffee in El Salvador where they now have trouble getting farm labor because of the United States.
I thought that was strange until he explained that locals have family members working in the states and sending big money back to El Salvador, which destroys the initiative of workers in their country too.
Through my recent conversations around the world, it is obvious the labor problem is real. A friend told me that Indonesia is building a 300,000-cow dairy. They have shipped in 5,000 Chinese laborers to do the construction project. As a side note, the country of Indonesia has a directive to get every kid one cup of fresh milk daily, which has led to a $3 billion investment in dairy production. No word on who will do the work of milking the cows.
Let’s look at some numbers being presented about the labor situation in 2026 with this from The United States Institute of Quality:
The world is entering a time where many countries do not have enough workers to fill important jobs. In 2025, approximately 74% of employers across the world said they were struggling to find the skilled people they need.
The number of people old enough and able to work has begun to shrink in many locations. This means that there are fewer new workers entering the workforce every year.
Many experienced workers are retiring, and the number of younger people entering the job market isn’t fast enough to replace them. Some industries require special skills not possessed by most workers, which makes the problem even higher.
The year 2026 is considered to be a turning point, as the number of changes occurring is increasing at the same time. Lots of older workers are leaving, companies need new kinds of skills, and the schools are not keeping up with what businesses need.
Recent reports are being released with more than 75% of companies reporting that they cannot find workers with the skills they need. This includes roles in security, data, and other technical areas.
In 2025, according to global reports, tech positions have some of the highest levels of shortage, with more than 84% of employers not being able to find skilled candidates for the positions.
Those are some big numbers and a serious deficit in the labor force. I am more than willing to bet that some are using these numbers to justify the movement toward artificial intelligence. As a person who has spent four years studying AI, it is not intended to replace workers, but rather replace humans all together, in my opinion. I think the real question is how does a nation go from people “willing” to work 12 hour days for seven days a week to provide for their families to the point where they don’t feel it necessary to work at all? Again, let’s interject government and let it create another program with a non-solution to the problem.
Most living things naturally take the path of least resistance. Every program across the board has expanded at a massive scale, growing the size of government through handouts and catapulting our national debt. Just a few examples include:
In 2025, enhanced subsidies for health care, food, and housing remained in effect, providing significant support to millions of Americans, though eligibility rules for immigrants faced new restrictions.
Health Care: Over 22 million people received premium subsidies for ACA Marketplace plans, with the vast majority (92%) earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
Food Assistance: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided benefits to approximately 47.6 million people.
Housing: Programs like the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) and HOME Investment Partnerships continued to assist low-income families, elderly persons, and individuals with disabilities.
Someone is going to need to explain to me how the poverty level continues to accelerate at a time when jobs are going unfilled. I have not even touched all the government programs that are incentives to “create jobs.” As long as payment not to work exceeds pay at work, the solution will never be found. The math is clear that government policies have created a nation of takers while eliminating most of the makers.
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of agriculture. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com or email Trent at [email protected].
PHOTO: Farmer throws hay bales in a tractor trailer. (Adobe Stock-#191715608 │ Dusan Kostic)
