The Indicator from Planet Money · Wednesday, August 5, 2026
The termination of TPS is expected to lead to higher costs for consumers in various sectors, including construction, healthcare, and services. Alex Aaron, from the Penn Wharton Budget Model, suggests that employers will struggle to fill vacant positions left by TPS holders, driving up wages and, consequently, prices for consumers.
“It's clear that a lot of these workers were supporting the workforce in corners of the economy where they were really, uh, important and necessary.”
“The losses to American consumers who are benefiting from being able to get cheaper construction, cheaper health services, cheaper lift rides, you know, the cost of them of losing this workforce will be much greater than the benefits to other people who will be able to, you know, get the jobs that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.”
“If you take X out of the equation, you only have Y numbers left. The rates are going to go up. And then that just goes right back to the consumer.”