Many Help Wanted Signs are Being Replaced by Immigrant Workers in Some Sectors of the Economy.

AAfrican  Immigrant Checks Out  a New Mainer at a Portland Hannaford Brothers The Clerk Speaks Four Laguages Fluently, Including English and French.  She Has Been in the US for Five Years and This is Where she Learned Emg;osj.

Some racist Republicans may not want to believe it, but if the “New York Times” prints it on the front page, it must be true!  Maine seldom makes news in the iconic newspaper, so when it does, it’s newsworthy..  Many racist Mainers do not like immigrants who arrive from South Africa despite their considerable contributions to the economy of the state of Maine.

The in-depth article in today’s “Times” states that Maine has the oldest population in the nation – with a median age of 45.1.  Apparently, it’s no longer the state of Florida that holds that distinction.

The article states that as the nation ages overall, Maine offers a glimpse of what this country could look like economically as immigrants fill vacancies in the aging labor market.  “Maine is much less restrictive in how you live your life,” claims this blogger.  “There are no book bans here for example.  And the climae is better here than in Florida as well.”

The article focuses on the lobster industry and several immigrants who are working in that field.  One immigrant  is hoping to become a lobsterman.  The other person featured in the story is a woman who is a supervisor in a lobster plant in Saco.

Looking to fill a shortage of cashiers at Hannaford Brothers grocery stores in Portland, shoppers have noticed that there are more African immigrants filling those positions than in the past.  One anonymous shift leader said this solution is a winner for both parties.  It gives qualified immigrants an income and it solves a shortage of personnel that intensified during the pandemic for Hannaford Brothers. “Customers don’t have to wait in line because of a shortage of front end cashiers,” she said. “That’s good for business.”  A second anonymous shift leader as well said most of these immigrants speak multiple languages.  That fact makes them particularly valuable employees in this population that is growing in diversity every day.

A press inquiry from this blogger to  Hannaford Brothers headquarters in Scarborough went unanswered several weeks ago.