If every unemployed person in the country found a job, 4 million jobs would remain open according to an August 2023 publication by the U.S Chamber of Commerce.
Rates of unemployment have been slowly declining, down from 5.3 million in April 2022, but the broader job market is still feeling the impacts of labor shortage. The U.S. Chamber’s Labor Shortage Index indicates that there are currently 76 workers for every 100 open jobs in the U.S.
Federation of Employers and Workers of American (FEWA), is working with employers in seasonal, labor-intensive service industries to fill vacant positions. FEWA assists employers who qualify for foreign labor certification programs to bring nonimmigrants into the U.S on temporary agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) visas.
FEWA members have the unique benefit of joining one association to file the H-2A or H-2B paperwork, process workers abroad, advocate in DC, educate on Compliance, and have access to legal resources,” explained Arnulfo Hinojosa, Vice President of FEWA. “We take pride in working with respectable employers that are willing and capable of following the rules.”
According to the U.S Department of Labor (DOL), Foreign labor certification programs permit U.S. employers to hire foreign workers to fill jobs essential to the U.S. economy.
For H-2A employers, “Lack of a sufficient seasonal workforce in the U.S. impacts not only the farmers who are unable to cultivate and harvest their crops but also the service industries that have a seasonal demand, said Donna Huitt, FEWA Member Development Coordinator.”
The DOL states that certification may be obtained in cases where it can be demonstrated that there are insufficient qualified U.S. workers available and willing to perform the work at wages that meet or exceed the prevailing wage paid for that occupation in the area of employment.
For additional information regarding FEWA and the H-2A and H-2B programs, visit www.fewaglobal.org or call 877-422-3392.
######
Additional Information:
Established in 2003, FEWA is an internationally recognized nonprofit trade association created to assist employers in labor-intensive service industries throughout the United States navigate the H-2A and H-2B Guest Worker Visa programs.