Population key to many issues facing Nebraska

We were amused a few years ago to read that Japanese couples were being encouraged to go home and - ahem - procreate for the good of their country.

Growing into an industrial powerhouse after World War II, Japan’s economy has been suffering in recent years because of a declining workforce.

Don’t look now, but Nebraska is in the same boat.

The 2017 statewide business survey conducted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed that workforce availability and quality are the top concerns of the state’s business and community leaders.

More than 1,500 Nebraskans who attended State Chamber legislative forums in McCook and 24 other communities around the state took part in the survey.

Nearly 36 percent of them said workforce was the top concern facing their business or organization, the fifth consecutive year that has been the case.

Taxes and government regulations also scored high on the list, with nearly half indicating either taxes or regulations were their top issue.

The birth rate is one factor in supplying a workforce, of course, but so are taxes that can influence residents and jobs to leave the state or decline to move here.

Other highlights of the survey:

* Nearly 60 percent said they would hire someone with a two-year degree or certified skill, and another 31 percent said they would hire someone with a four-year degree, and only 10 percent said someone with only a high school diploma.

* Almost 38 percent said population loss and shrinking workforce were the most pressing issues for their towns, and 28 percent cited the loss of businesses or well-paying jobs.

* Asked how to address the problems, more than 20 percent called for more housing, and 28 percent preferred more technical education/skills-based training for high schoolers and younger. Another 26 said more well-paying jobs would be the best remedy, with 12 percent saying more local internships for students.

* Forty-one percent called for lawmakers to lower state taxes, 24 percent said they should reduce state spending and fewer than 15 percent called for sending more state money to local governments in hopes of lowering local taxes.

Finding money to better prepare our workforce, while still holding down taxes will always be a dilemma.

A former McCook City Councilman was fond of saying we needed a “critical mass”of population to accomplish whatever goal happened to be the topic of discussion at that particular time.

The same yardstick can be used when it comes to most of the pressing issues our community faces today.