A recent report shows a small uptick in H-2A program usage for fiscal year 2024, suggesting that farmers and ranchers continue to rely on temporary workers. According to the Department of Labor, 384,900 H-2A positions were certified, marking a two percent increase—or 6,000 more positions—than fiscal year 2023.
John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, emphasizes that even a small boost reflects the program’s importance. “We haven’t seen the explosive growth of ten years ago,” he says, “but an increase is still an increase.” Industry observers note that overall growth appears slower compared to past surges when H-2A usage rose sharply from year to year.
Boatright also points out that heavier regulations may be holding back steeper demand for temporary labor. “We’ve seen three- to 4,000 pages of new regulations in the past two years,” he explains. These rules add to the cost of hiring, which already includes higher petition fees and, in some states, rising minimum wages. Many farm operators find these additional expenses difficult to absorb, particularly when commodity prices fluctuate.
Still, the slight increase in H-2A positions demonstrates that many agricultural producers see the program as vital for filling seasonal labor gaps. Although the uptick in H-2A use for fiscal year 2024 may seem modest, it underscores how crucial seasonal workers remain to American agriculture. Despite rising costs and new regulations, most experts expect reliance on H-2A labor to continue as farmers strive to meet ongoing demand.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.