The Expanding Role of H-2B Workers in the United States

Congress established the H-2 visa program in 1952 to allow U.S. businesses to directly hire seasonal foreign guest workers when American workers were not available, with the aim of “alleviating labor shortages ... particularly in periods of intense production.” During the Reagan Administration, Congress created separate visa programs: the H-2A visa, for temporary agricultural workers; and the H-2B visa, for temporary non-agricultural workers. Both programs have always been popular, but fast-rising demand in recent years has shown how several key industries have become increasingly reliant on these workers to ease the labor shortage.

Rising Demand for H-2B Workers

An American Immigration Council analysis of Department of Labor (DOL) data reveals that demand for H-2B workers has risen 46 percent since 2018, with the number of certified workers increasing from 147,389 in fiscal year (FY) 2018 to over 215,217 by FY 2023.

This growth highlights the escalating reliance on H-2B workers, particularly in hospitality and tourism, landscaping, construction, forestry, and seafood processing industries. As the U.S. population ages out of the workforce, and young Americans appear increasingly disinterested in these fields, American businesses are faced with insufficient domestic labor supply to meet their needs. A recent CNN report found that labor shortages in the construction industry were causing businesses to delay projects and turn down new opportunities despite increasing demand for housing construction and increased federal infrastructure funding.

State-Specific Trends and Geographic Expansion

As shown in the map above, Texas had the highest number of DOL-certified H-2B workers: 20,443 in FY 2018 and 21,800 in FY 2023. Florida experienced the largest increase: from 10,690 in FY 2018 to 18,384 in FY 2023. And in a dozen states—Alabama, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—the number of certified workers more than doubled during this period.

Note, the number of certified workers is not the same as the number of work visas issued. After certification, both the employer and worker must complete the USCIS approval process before the worker can begin employment in the United States (the approval rate in FY 2023 was 99.8 percent). Some workers are already in the United States on existing visas. For those who are not, they must be approved for an H-2B visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate then pass inspection by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer before admission.

The Council’s H-2B map also provides national and state-specific data on the number of H-2B workers approved by the USCIS. Overall, the number of approved petitions grew by 39.9 percent, from 102,188 in FY 2018 to 142,933 in FY 2023. However, these numbers do not capture the final number of workers who arrived and worked in the United States.

Meanwhile, the H-2B program's geographic footprint has also widened across U.S. counties. Between 2018 and 2023, the number of counties that had certified H-2B workers increased by 30.4 percent. In 2023, businesses in 469 U.S. counties had gained certified H-2B workers that did not have them in 2018—further highlighting the growing reach and reliance on the program. Palm Beach County in Florida, Jackson County in Oregon, Maricopa County in Arizona, Barnstable County in Massachusetts, and Dallas County in Texas have the highest number of H-2B certified workers, demonstrating the variety of regions where employers rely on these workers for various seasonal and peak-load jobs.

Top Industries and Occupations with Requests for H-2B Workers

The top three industries and occupations requesting H-2B workers reflect the demand for workers in physically intensive and seasonal positions, jobs that domestic workers are far less inclined to apply for.

The landscaping services industry accounted for the largest share of H-2B labor certifications, making up over 31.3 percent of the total. Second was the hotel and motel industry, representing 8.4 percent of the certifications, followed by services for buildings and dwellings with 7.0 percent. These industries require substantial seasonal labor to maintain operations.

Similarly, the most requested occupations for H-2B workers were landscaping and groundskeeping workers, comprising 39.1 percent of all certifications; maids and housekeeping cleaners, at 7.0 percent; and forest and conservation workers, with 5.8 percent.

Labor Shortages in Key Sectors

As the U.S. baby boom generation retires out of the workforce, and young U.S.-born workers continue to show little interest in physically-intensive seasonal jobs, the demand for H-2B labor continues to rise. In 2023, the construction industry reportedly had the largest number of unfilled jobs in its history, with 61 percent of companies experiencing project delays as a result. The hospitality and landscaping sectors, which heavily depend on seasonal workers, have also faced significant challenges in recruiting and retaining employees, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Role of Immigration in Addressing Labor Gaps

Immigration has become a key source of overall labor market growth. Since 2019, a significant share of the growth in the U.S. labor force has been attributed to foreign-born workers. However, our outdated visa programs hinder its ability to address labor shortages.

For example, the H-2B visa program caps the number of workers at 66,000 workers per year, split between the first and second halves of the fiscal year. In FY 2023, the total demand for H-2B workers through the Department of Labor certification process exceeded 215,000. To help provide the needed workers, Congress has authorized USCIS and DOL to add more visas to the total number available in the past four fiscal years. In FY 2024, over 64,000 more visas were added.

Still, the process for obtaining H-2B visas remains complex and competitive, and it involves multiple steps with both the Department of Labor and USCIS. Furthermore, the additional visas in FY 2023 still did not meet the needs of American businesses. Many employers continue to be unable to secure the temporary workers they need, due both to high demand for H-2B visas and the procedural hurdles involved.

Modernizing the H-2B Visa Program

The H-2B visa program needs to be reformed if we are to address the growing labor shortages hamstringing American employers. First, the current annual cap on visas must be significantly increased to better align with the growing demand in key industries. Additionally, the application process should be streamlined to ensure that employers in high-demand sectors can access the temporary workforces they need. At the same time, we should strengthen protections for H-2B workers to ensure fair treatment, safe working conditions, and safeguards against exploitation.