As I was saying …

The prolonged recession has had at least one positive effect: The roofing industry no longer speaks much about labor shortages.

That does not mean, of course, that the issue is behind us; rather, I fear it has been deferred to another day of reckoning when the situation will be worse than ever. I believe this for at least two reasons.

For one thing, our industry will have downsized, losing good workers who likely will have found other jobs or, in some cases, returned to their homes outside the U.S. Either way, it will be difficult to bring them back.

Additionally, the U.S. population continues to age. Our work force's makeup is—and increasingly will be—a demographic issue. An aging population does not bode well for our industry's ability to find entry-level workers and keep them long enough for them to become productive.

There already is evidence of this problem: The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers reports the average age of first-time apprentices entering the trade is older than 30. Our industry employs roughly 120,000 field workers, and with normal growth rates, it is expected to add 40,000 new workers during the next decade—as well as replace those who retire, pass away or leave the industry.

Congress once again is looking at the U.S.' national immigration policy, which has become nothing more than a hodgepodge of knee-jerkism; federal, state and even municipal governments have imposed so many immigration rules that it is virtually impossible for employers to fully understand what is required of them. And there is a constant chorus of rabble-rousing: Deport all illegals! Make employers enforce the law!

We need a sensible national immigration policy that allows workers (in industries where they are needed) to enter the U.S. legally and provides a rational law-enforcement program and realistic plan for handling the 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. However, as they say, the terms "sensible" and "national policy" don't often collide in the same sentence.

Finally, let me state what we don't want: a program that condones employing illegal immigrants. That's beneath us and contradicts our industry's efforts to become more professional.

As the issue resurfaces, share your thoughts and experiences with NRCA. More important, share them with your elected officials. There is a lot at stake.

Bill Good is NRCA's executive vice president.