On January 11th, California Congressmen John Duarte (CA-13) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-1) sent a letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders requesting an H-2A visa guestworker wage freeze in an upcoming spending package.
The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), or the required wage that farm employers must pay H-2A workers, has more than doubled since 2005. With the nation’s average AEWR reaching $17.55/hr in 2024 (over a 5% increase year over year) and other inflated input costs including fuel and fertilizer, many farms are in danger of going out of business.
Members of Congress wrote, “USDA data shows that hired farm labor costs account for nearly 15 percent of total cash expenses. More labor-intensive industries will be hardest-hit, including specialty crop growers, who already spend nearly 40 percent of their total cash expenses on labor alone. If we do nothing, many of our constituents will be forced to shutter their businesses, despite good-faith efforts to ensure our national food security and feed families across our nation.”
“The national average AEWR has already more than doubled over the past two decades, making agricultural guest labor unaffordable for farm employers and resulting in higher consumer costs,” the letter reads.
“While the AEWR varies by region, nearly half of all states are projected to have an AEWR between $17 and $19 per hour in 2024. Meanwhile, producers in Canada pay closer to $11 per hour for fieldworkers or even approximately $1.50 per hour in Mexico. This uneven playing field greatly disadvantages our domestic producers.
The United States Department of Labor annually adjusts the AEWR, and as prices and cost of living continue to rise, increasing labor costs for farmers and producers threaten both the domestic and global supply chains that rely on American goods made in states with high H-2A labor rates.
Joining California Congressmen Duarte and LaMalfa on the letter are Representatives: Rick Allen (GA); Maria Salazar (FL); Lisa McClain (MI); Ralph Norman (SC); Kim Schrier (WA); Elissa Slotkin (MI); David Rouzer (NC); Austin Scott (GA); Dan Meuser (PA); John Rose (TN); Trent Kelly (MS); Mike Ezell (MS); Greg F. Murphy, M.D. (NC); John Moolenaar (MI); Andrew Clyde (GA); Russ Fulcher (ID); Byron Donalds (FL); Mike Gallagher (WI); Michael Guest (MS); Tim Walberg (MI); Cliff Bentz (OR); William Timmons (SC); Jerry Carl (AL); David Kustoff (TN); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA); Jack Bergman (MI); Greg Pence (IN); Kat Cammack (FL); Mike Bost (IL); Michael V. Lawler (NY); Nick Langworthy (NY); Erin Houchin (IN); Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN); Marc Molinaro (NY); Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR); Barry Moore (AL); James R. Baird (IN); Dale W. Strong (AL); Bruce Westerman (AR); Pete Sessions (TX); Garret Graves (LA); Gary Palmer (AL); Dan Bishop (NC); Andy Barr (KY); Darin LaHood (IL); Randy Feenstra (IA); Nancy Mace (SC); Jeff Duncan (SC); August Pfluger (TX); Glenn Grothman (WI); Daniel T. Kildee (MI); James Comer (KY); Frank D. Lucas (OK); Barry Loudermilk (GA); Jim Banks (IN); Lance Gooden (TX); Ben Cline (VA); Mary Miller (IL); Dusty Johnson (SD); Mike D. Rodgers (AL); Clay Higgins (LA); Kelly Armstrong (ND); Brett Guthrie (KY); Rudy Yakym III (IN); Joe Wilson (SC); Russell Fry (SC); Mike Kelly (PA); Claudia Tenny (NY); Ronny L. Jackson (TX); John Joyce, M.D. (PA); John James (MI); and Dan Newhouse (WA)
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