Despite Unemployment Numbers, Seasonal Jobs Go to Foreign Workers

The federal government plans to release new unemployment figures on Friday. Will July’s numbers be as dismal as June’s? All week, The Takeaway is speaking with experts, employers, and out-of-work Americans about unemployment-related issues. Today, we’re discussing foreign workers. With unemployment hovering around 9.2 percent, why do so many seasonal employers choose to hire workers from outside the U.S.? Shawn McNulty’s family owns The Lobster Pot Restaurant, which has been a seasonal staple of Provincetown,  Massachusetts  for 39 years. McNulty says he hires foreign workers because he can’t fill his low wage jobs with Americans.  Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for our partner, The New York Times, talks about this trend nationally.