Lupe Delgado finishes up a side dish June 26, 2021, at Nookie's Restaurant & Brewery in Hermiston. The restaurant’s kitchen staff by then had been pushing overtime for months. Experts says the worker shortage will continue for years.

The worker shortage is a serious economic problem that began before the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue for years after it fades away, experts say.

The problem is largely caused by an aging U.S. population and falling birth rates, and will not be solved without comprehensive federal immigration reform.

In Portland, the problem is exacerbated by high housing prices, high personal income taxes and a national reputation damaged by media coverage of downtown protests.

Those were among the major takeaways from the recent Portland Business Alliance breakfast forum. It was titled “Where did all the workers go? Unpacking Portland’s labor shortage.” Panelist were: Oregon state economist Christian Kaylor; Swire Coca-Cola Vice President Jeff Deitrick, whose territory includes the Pacific Northwest; and PGE Vice President for Human Resources and Diversity Anne Mersereau.

Kaylor began the presentation with an array of statistics, including the fact the U.S. working age population essentially stopped growing in 2017. The largest demographic is baby boomers, who are now retiring in record numbers and not being replaced by an equal number of younger workers, Kaylor said.

“Almost twice as many people are leaving the workforce as entering it,” Kaylor said, resulting in both record low unemployment and record high job openings.

Deitrick said his and other companies now have two options to stay competitive — retain their existing employees or steal employees from other companies. That requires meeting their existing employees’ changing needs, including allowing them to work remotely when possible, and increasing wages and benefits.