Reliable, dependable and affordable workers have always been in short supply and high demand—particularly those who work in agriculture. However, within the past decade, an aging agricultural workforce, demographical changes and overall attitudes toward manual labor have made it increasingly difficult to find reliable workers, despite competitive wages. Finding seasonal help also has become even more difficult.
Listed here are programs designed to help farmers and ranchers find agricultural workers needed for their businesses.
Texas Workforce Commission—Agricultural Services
The Texas Workforce Commission’s Agricultural Services unit works with Workforce Solutions offices around the state to assist agricultural employers in throughout the nation. They can provide skilled workers, industry training and labor market information to help farmers and ranchers with employment needs.
General Information: Agricultural Services | Texas Workforce Commission
H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program—Seasonal, farm labor
The H-2A temporary agricultural program helps employers who anticipate a lack of available domestic workers to bring foreign workers to the U.S. to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work including, but not limited to, planting, cultivating or harvesting labor.
The usage of this program has more than tripled since 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Pros: Dependable, reliable workforce (same workers can return annually)
Cons: Costly, heavily regulated, paperwork, must provide housing, limited to seasonal work
Note that there are turn-key H-2A contractors capable of handling some (or all) of the application and recruiting process. [See H-2A Labor Contractor Section Below]
Central America
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Costa Rica
Ecuador
South America
Argentina
Brazil
Columbia
Chile
Peru
Uruguay
Paraguay
Caribbean
Barbados
Haiti
Jamaica
St. Vincent & Grenadines
Grenada
Dominican Republic
Others
Australia
South Africa
Ukraine
Canada
Romania
The full list of countries is available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Mexico—198,341
South Africa—5,518
Jamaica—4,660
Guatemala—2,164
Nicaragua—693
Peru—566
Ukraine—383
Honduras—299
Costa Rica—243
Romania—224
All Others—823
Countries with active assistance programs in the U.S.
- Government-support recruitment service in El Salvador
- Discounted airfare for H-2A employees
- U.S. Embassy in El Salvador
- Program requires that labor recruiters register and become certified
- Helps prevent fraud and abuse and protect workers’ rights
H-2A Labor Contractors (H-2ALC) Information & Requirements
An H-2ALC is a person who meets the definition of an “employer” under the H-2A Program and does not otherwise qualify as a fixed-site employer or an agricultural association (or an employee of a fixed-site employer or agricultural association) and who is engaged in any one of the following activities in regards to any worker subject to the H-2A regulations: recruiting, soliciting, hiring, employing, furnishing, housing or transporting.
Additional Resources
Additional resources are available to help farmers and ranchers find agricultural workers needed for their businesses.
Associate Director, Commodities and Regulatory Activities
Government Affairs Division
254-751-2234
jbragg@txfb.org