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Migration Dialogue provides timely, factual and nonpartisan information and analysis of international migration issues through five major activities: the newsletters Migration News and Rural Migration News, Changing Face and other Research & Seminars, and the Sloan West Coast Program on Science and Engineering Workers.

Contact us at migrant@primal.ucdavis.edu.

Rural Migration Blog: H-2As: 5 States had 50% H-2A Jobs in FY23

The US Department of Labor (DOL) certified 378,000 seasonal farm jobs to be filled by H-2A workers in FY23, up two percent from 372,000 in FY22. DOL received almost 21,000 applications from about 13,000 unique employers, reflecting the fact that some farm employers file multiple applications. The average number of jobs certified per application was 20.

The top five H-2A states, FL, CA, GA, WA, and NC, each had 25,000 to 50,000 jobs certified and collectively accounted for half of all H-2A jobs certified. The number of certified jobs rose by two percent among the top five states, from 188,000 to 192,000, but rose fastest in GA and WA, up eight percent, and fell seven percent in CA.

The top 5 states had half of the 378,000 H-2A job certifications in FY23

Fiscal Year 2023 H-2A Certified Positions
State Certified Positions
Alabama 2,141
Alaska 57
Arizona 11,301
Arkansas 6,995
California 40,758
Colorado 4,482
Connecticut 1,422
Delaware 865
Florida 51,987
Georgia 37,536
Hawaii 0
Idaho 7,270
Illinois 4,809
Indiana 4,954
Iowa 5,678
Kansas 2,226
Kentucky 7,892
Louisiana 13,167
Maine 0
Maryland 1,478
Massachusetts 0
Michigan 15,094
Minnesota 3,781
Mississippi 6,875
Missouri 2,063
Montana 1,695
Nebraska 3,965
Nevada 3,576
New Hampshire 314
New Jersey 2,859
New Mexico 2,192
New York 9,919
North Carolina 26,146
North Dakota 3,489
Ohio 4,378
Oklahoma 1,163
Oregon 4,349
Pennsylvania 3,056
Rhode Island 10
South Carolina 7,522
South Dakota 2,701
Tennessee 6,556
Texas 12,075
Utah 1,908
Vermont 499
Virginia 5,036
Washington 35,680
West Virginia 349
Wisconsin 2,825
Wyoming 685

The number of jobs certified rose in 37 states between FY22 and FY23 and fell in 14. The fastest growth was in states with few certifications, including ND, NM, and WV, each up over 20 percent. The largest decline was in AZ, down 18 percent.

Percentage Change in Number of H-2A Certified Positions, Fiscal Year 2023 Compared to Fiscal Year 2022
State Percentage Change
Alabama -1%
Alaska 6%
Arizona -18%
Arkansas 8%
California -7%
Colorado 9%
Connecticut 5%
Delaware 6%
Florida 2%
Georgia 7%
Hawaii 0%
Idaho 11%
Illinois 9%
Indiana 6%
Iowa 7%
Kansas 9%
Kentucky 1%
Louisiana -4%
Maine 3%
Maryland -3%
Massachusetts 5%
Michigan -3%
Minnesota 9%
Mississippi -3%
Missouri 5%
Montana 16%
Nebraska 18%
Nevada 8%
New Hampshire 8%
New Jersey -9%
New Mexico 22%
New York 0%
North Carolina 2%
North Dakota 26%
Ohio -1%
Oklahoma -8%
Oregon 15%
Pennsylvania 3%
Rhode Island 25%
South Carolina -4%
South Dakota 2%
Tennessee 4%
Texas 4%
Utah -2%
Vermont -4%
Virginia -1%
Washington 8%
West Virginia 22%
Wisconsin 7%
Wyoming 12%

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  • Rural Migration News

    Rural Migration News summarizes the most important migration-related issues affecting agricultural and rural America, and is produced with the support of the Colcom, Giannini, and Walmart foundations.

  • Rural Migration News Blogs

    Rural Migration News blogs examine a particular farm labor, migration, or trade issue, and are produced with the support of the Colcom, Giannini, and Walmart foundations.

  • Farm Labor and Mexican Produce Exports

    The US imports over half of its fresh fruit and a third of its fresh vegetables, mostly from Mexico. This project, led by the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute and supported by the Walmart foundations, strengthens protections for Mexican workers employed throughout North America agriculture and works with stakeholders to implement evidence-based policies that improve worker protections.

  • Migration News

    Migration News was a monthly and later quarterly summary of the most important migration issues in the US, Europe, and Asia that was produced between 1994 and 2014 with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

  • Sloan West Coast Program On S&E Workers

    The Sloan Program on Science and Engineering Workers supported researchers interested in how affected US workers employed in IT-related occupations between 2007 and 2014 with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

  • Changing Face & UFW Contracts

    The Changing Face project assessed the effects of immigrant farm workers on agriculture and agricultural communities in California and other states between 1994 and 2016 with the support of the Farm and Rosenberg Foundations.

  • Research & Seminars

    Migration Dialogue organized seminars for opinion leaders to discuss comparative migration issues between 1993 and 2004 with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.