Proposed changes to the H-2A program would affect labor costs in the United States and California

Abstract

The H-2A visa program allows farmers in the United States to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor to recruit and employ guest workers, usually for a maximum of 10 months, when they are unable to find enough workers living in the United States (including U.S. citizens, other legally authorized workers, and workers not authorized to work in the United States). We analyzed U.S. and California H-2A job certification data to determine how the program is currently used and how a proposed H-2A wage freeze would likely affect future farm labor costs. Our analysis suggests that changes in the H-2A visa program would likely expand the program while reducing labor costs in California and elsewhere.

Migrant Clinicians Network: Championing Health Equity

“…2 Among H-2A workers, those who arrive on a temporary agricultural work visa, in fiscal year 2021, 93% were born in Mexico. 3 Hispanics made up 30% of construction workers, higher than their 17.6% share of total employed, and significantly up from 20.3% in 2003. 4 The makeup of individuals granted asylum has shifted; in fiscal year 2000, 16,549 cases were granted, with the highest numbers arriving from the People's Republic of China, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Colombia.…”

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act and warnings from previous immigration reforms

“…The H2 guest worker visa was first created in 1952 through the Immigration and Nationality Act. In its initial years, it employed fewer than 10,000 workers per year, mostly to harvest sugarcane in Florida (Martin & Rutledge, 2021). In 1986, it was split into the H-2A program for agricultural and H-2B for nonagricultural jobs.…”

Enhancing detection of labor violations in the agricultural sector: A multilevel generalized linear regression model of H-2A violation counts

“…This industry comprises various sectors, such as crop production, livestock farming, and food processing. However, it faces numerous challenges such as labor shortages [1], climate change [2], and a growing demand for sustainable practices [3]. As a result, there is an increasing need for migrant farm workers.…”

“…These programs enable farmers to fill seasonal farm jobs with guest workers from other countries when they anticipate a shortage of domestic workers, including U.S. citizens, other legally authorized workers, and undocumented workers. Employers seeking to recruit and hire H-2A workers must first obtain certification from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) [1]. It is important to note that the H-2 programs are not new phenomena but rather part of a long history of the United States relying on low-paid workers to support the agriculture industry, beginning with slavery and progressing through sharecropping and the Bracero program, which brought workers from Mexico to fill the labor needs in agriculture.…”