1.6 Surprisingly, a lot of people know what this means, and just as
surprisingly, many do not. This number means we are not having enough
kids. The reproductive rate needs to be 2.1. In the U.S., it is estimated we
are 900,000 babies short just this year. Holy smokes!

When our children were at our local high school, the enrollment was
around 1,700. By the time our grandkids went there, enrollment had
declined to around 1,400.

In the U.S., the main University of Wisconsin campus enrollment is fine,
barely. However, six other campuses in the UW System, including
UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha, have closed since 2023. Another will be
closing in 2026. The main reason is declining enrollment.

We are continuously looking to hire employees at our Kenosha
campus. Especially warehouse employees. We particularly struggle in
Kenosha, WI, and Allentown, PA. Yes, we have a strict drug policy, a dress
code and we expect employees to come to work five days a week.
We also have beautiful, clean warehouses. In warm areas, including
Ontario, CA, and Naples, FL, we have air-conditioned warehouses, too.
We also pay very well.

One problem is there are not enough younger employees at Uline to
replace so many fine folks who are retiring.

Canada has a good immigration policy, from this American's viewpoint.
They set annual immigration targets – 380,000 for 2026. Canada's policy
also includes:

• Each province can select candidates needed for their
  local labor market. They know how many technicians,
  electricians, etc., are needed to fill the gaps.
• A points-based system that evaluates applicants based on skills,
  work experience and language ability. If you qualify, you could
  be approved in as little as 6 months.
• Bonus points if you want to move to a rural area.

In recent years, Canada's population has gone from
approximately 33 million to 39 million. While there are
issues with their system, in my opinion, it functions 100%
better than the U.S. We've gone from anything goes with
Biden to the shutdown with Trump.

Obviously, we need legal immigration here in America.
Despite all the talk about AI, we need people to run
American businesses.