Billionaire CEO: Companies should hire Ukrainian engineers because Americans lack 'work ethic'

On Wednesday, Newsweek reported that billionaire investor Bill Ackman is urging U.S. companies to hire Ukrainians to engineering jobs, because Americans lack the same level of "work ethic".

"In a Tuesday tweet, the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management said he had dinner with a number of startup CEOs who had complained about the work ethic of young American engineers," reported Khaleda Rahman. "He suggested that employers should instead look to hiring people from Ukraine as Russia's invasion of the country continues."

But — Ackman was careful to note — companies shouldn't go through all the trouble of bringing Ukrainians out of their war-torn country to come to the U.S. to take those jobs, but simply have them work remotely.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has devastated huge sections of the country and created a massive refugee crisis, as Russian forces commit horrifying war crimes in occupied territory.

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The Biden administration has committed to admitting in 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, with 6,000 already approved for entry into the U.S.

Ackman's comments also come as U.S. businesses are facing a sharp uptick in workers resigning to pursue other job opportunities, a trend known as the "Great Resignation" as a labor shortage causes workers to start questioning the value of working lower-pay, less-secure jobs.