As reported by the Saipan Tribune the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, Ralph DLG Torres,  is pointing to a construction worker squeeze.

Arguing that recent laws passed by the U.S. congress do not allow for enough foreign construction workers, the governor’s hope is that the Northern Mariana Islands Delegate to Congress, Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) will be able to win an increase in the number of foreign workers allowed onto the archipelago.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which includes 14 islands, has a population of roughly 51,000 people and is nearby Guam with its large US military presence. It benefits from significant federal investments in its infrastructure. 

Currently a number of construction projects are slated for the archipelago. Among the projects is the Tinian Divert Airfield which has construction projects requiring 2,000-plus construction workers, according to Torres.

The territory’s main newspaper the Saipan Tribune, reports that in the capital of Sapain: “the Northern Marianas College has a $100-million project to rebuild its As Terlaje campus. Also, the Public School System altogether at this moment has projects that are roughly worth $230 million.”

Another project in Saipan is the Bird Island road project which has three phases, totaling $36 million. Furthermore a Beach Road project will cost upwards of $4-5 million. 

In addition the mayor’s offices in Tinian and Rota have new projects slated. All of these together will need workers brought in from outside and at a competitive price. In the past workers from Mongolia and other nearby east Asian countries have been utilized for major projects.

Photo via Flickr.