If every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have nearly 5.3 million jobs open, according to an April 2022 publication by the U.S Chamber of Commerce. The H-2A and H-2B seasonal labor programs are helping to fill vacancies for agricultural and non-agricultural employers.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 30 million U.S. workers were temporarily unemployed. While rates of unemployment have been declining since then, employers have also added an unprecedented 3.8 million jobs. Add to the equation that 2.2 million Americans have left the labor workforce since 2020. Simply put, demand outweighs the supply.
Located in Texas, Federation of Employers and Workers of America (FEWA), an internationally recognized non-profit trade association, 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 noncitizens into the U.S. on temporary agricultural (H-2A) and non-agricultural (H-2B) visas.
“Our Member Guides assist employers throughout the entire H-2A/H-2B process, said Donna Huitt, FEWA Business Development Coordinator. The process to request temporary foreign workers is complex, and involves multiple government agencies, so employers are relieved to have our assistance.”
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.
“Lack of a sufficient agricultural workforce in the U.S. impacts not only the farmers who are unable to cultivate and harvest their crops but also the companies that would have transported those products and the retailers that would have sold them, said Huitt.”
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.