2022/01/01 by Philip Martin, Zachariah Rutledge · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Agriculture and Farm Safety
paper · pdf · doi:10.3733/ca.2021a0020
openalex publication_date 2022/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
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.