The number of H-2A seasonal workers has grown rapidly!

New data from USDA shows the growth within the H-2A Visa Program for seasonal farmworkers.

The Department of Labor certified roughly 317,000 temporary jobs last year, six times more than what we saw in 2005. They say the H-2A program has grown, partly due to U.S. domestic workers finding jobs outside agriculture. It even expanded in 2020, despite the economic harm caused by Covid-19 lockdowns.

Six states account for about half of all H-2A jobs filled last year, including Florida, Georgia, Washington, California, North Carolina, and Louisiana. Right now, the average H-2A contract offers 24 weeks of work averaging $13 an hour.

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