Reconnecting with SHRM on Building a More Stable Workforce for the CNMI
A stable workforce is essential to rebuilding our economy. Our businesses need the ability to plan beyond the next few years, our workers need greater certainty about their futures, and the Commonwealth needs a workforce system that reflects the realities of our islands. That was at the center of my conversation with the SHRM general membership last week. SHRM was the first organization I spoke to when I started my term as Delegate, so it was good to return and report on the progress we have made since then. We talked about our legislation to bring Wagner-Peyser employment services to the CNMI, our work to eliminate the CW-1 touchback requirement, and the broader Northern Mariana Islands Labor Stabilization Act to provide greater workforce stability beyond 2029. We also talked about where workforce fits into the larger work of rebuilding our economy. Tourism, power costs, access to capital, transportation, and workforce all affect whether businesses can grow, whether people can find opportunity here, and ultimately whether our economy can move forward. Thank you to SHRM for the opportunity to return, share where this work stands, and hear directly from the people who deal with these challenges every day.