Demand for ag workers has employers turning to the H-2A program more often, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The H-2A program is seeing positions up 225% over the past decade. The program, which allows employers to higher foreign workers for season labor when domestic workers are unavailable, continues to grow, reaching 257,000 in 2019 compared to 79,000 in 2010.
The Department of Labor says when you break the statistics down by segment, animal products, field crops, fruit and tree nuts, greenhouse and nursery and vegetables and melons sectors are all seeing growth.
The highest rate of growth is happening in the fruit, nuts and vegetable categories, which are up more than 330%.
