The migration influx in the United States of America is a big issue for many reasons. However, Tyson Foods Inc. might be able to put these high numbers to good use. The company plans to hire immigrants to fill jobs many Americans may not typically want.
With an unemployment rate of 3.9%, the food company has been struggling to fill unpleasant jobs. These include positions with tasks like washing meat, placing the cuts into trays, and doing a final bone inspection. According to Garrett Dolan, a company lead, about 40% of the 100,000 people in their files leave every year.
This is a standard statistic across the meat packing industry. Therefore, they are looking to replace these people with immigrants who need money and job security. Dolan said that Tyson plans to hire about 52,000 people in 2024 alone. “We’re recognizing there’s not a lot of people that are going to be working labor-manufacturing jobs that are American,” he said.
Therefore, many new hires “are going to come from refugees and immigrants, so we’re now in the business of strategically thinking that through.” While these jobs may be unpleasant to some, they pay a decent amount.
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The pay starts at $16.50 per hour. Those who want to work for five hours a day will earn almost $100 from a day of work. The job also provides benefits such as childcare and English classes for non-speakers. Among its 120,000 U.S. workforce, about 42,000 are immigrants, and the company does not mind doubling the number.
“We would like to employ another 42,000 if we could find them,” Dolan said. The company is joining forces with Tent Partnership for Refugees, which Chobani yogurt magnate Hamdi Ulukaya founded. Together, they plan to hire many of the thousands of migrants that have come into the country over the past two years.
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Some Tyson officials also met with immigrants at Chibani’s offices and hired 17 asylum seekers on the spot. They were from places like Venezuela, Mexico, and Colombia, and they are now employees at the Tyson plant in Humboldt, Tennessee. Just last week, the company hired 70 more.
Therefore, it is clear that they are working hard to achieve this goal. While it is not a permanent solution, it is a huge step in providing the necessary support that migrants need. It’ll help the company fill vacancies and increase its workforce.
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In addition, Tyson is working with four other companies to hire migrants in the country. One of the four companies is the airline food packager Gategroup Holding AG. Tyson is investing in hiring immigrants and retaining them.
In 2023, the company earmarked $1.5 million a year for legal aid services and provided paid time off for workers to attend court hearings. They also paid for 1,317 workers to become U.S. citizens in 2023.
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