Pre-employment costs associated with H-2A agricultural workers and the effects of the ‘60-minute rule’
In: International Food and Agribusiness Management ReviewSearch for other papers by Fritz M. Roka in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Skyler Simnitt in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Derek Farnsworth in
Current site
Google Scholar
Agricultural employers increasingly are turning to the foreign guest worker program, known as H-2A, as a means to secure a legal workforce. This paper outlines the procedural aspects and costs of recruiting and hiring H-2A workers. Cost data is from a 2014 survey of citrus harvesters and defines pre-employment costs as filing fees, advertising, surety bonds, travel, and housing. The pre-employment costs associated with guest workers are estimated to be nearly $ 2,000 per worker. The survey was motivated by the ‘60-minute rule’ imposed by the U.S. Department of Labor prior to the 2012-13 citrus harvesting season. Cost data were collected across two crop season, 2012-13 and 2013-14, to analyze the cost implications of the rule. We found that the 60-minute rule significantly increased filing fees. These fees, however, represent a very small share of total costs and overall pre-employment costs associated with the H-2A program did not significantly change.
-
Calvin, L. and P. Martin. 2010. Labor-intensive U.S. fruit and vegetable industry competes in a global market. Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/h2w9f57.
-
Dimitri, C., A. Effland and N. Conklin. 2005. The 20th century transformation of U.S. agriculture and farm policy. Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/zrobddd.
-
Economic Research Service. 2014. Farm Labor. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/jzmd4qh.
-
Eisenbrey, R. 2009. The H-2 visa programs real need for reform. In: Getting immigration right, edited by D. Coates and P. Siavelis. Potamac Books Inc., Washington, WA, USA, pp. 201-218.
'The H-2 visa programs real need for reform ', in Getting immigration right , () 201 -218.
-
Employment and Training Administration. 2014. The National Agricultural Workers Survey. United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/jqa5kqd.
-
Employment and Training Administration. 2016. H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program. United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/h27hk7h.
-
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 2013. Florida agriculture by the numbers 2013. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/z4ug7nl.
-
Florida Department of Citrus. 2015. Citrus Mechanic Harvesting. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/h55day4.
-
Guan, Z., F. Wu, F. Roka and A. Whidden. 2015. Agricultural labor and immigration reform. Choices 30: 1-9.
'Agricultural labor and immigration reform ' () 30 Choices : 1 -9.
-
Gunderson, M.A, A. Wysocki and J.A. Sterns. 2009. Postharvest Handling, Elsevier, Cambridge, MA, USA, pp. 129-152.
Postharvest Handling , () 129 -152.
-
Huffman, W.E. 2005. Trends, adjustments, and demographics, and income of agricultural workers. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 27: 351-360.
'Trends, adjustments, and demographics, and income of agricultural workers ' () 27 Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy : 351 -360.
-
Martin, P.L. 2003. Promise unfulfilled: unions, immigration, and the farm workers. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Promise unfulfilled: unions, immigration, and the farm workers , ().
-
Muraro, R.P. 2012. Estimated average picking, roadsiding and hauling charges for Florida citrus, 2011-12 Season. Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, FL, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/zrqjcwh.
-
National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2015. Farm labor. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/j4cmjfs.
-
National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2016. Florida citrus statistics 2014-2015. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/hw29qgh.
-
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). 2012. Employer guide to participation in H-2A temporary agricultural program’ Employment and Training Administration, United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/z9gjypv.
-
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). 2013. Annual report October 1, 2012 – September 30, 2013. Employment and Training Administration, United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA.
-
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). 2014. H-2A temporary agricultural labor certification program – Selected statistics. Employment and Training Administration, United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/jfwsmfk.
-
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). 2015. Adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) chart 2010-2015. Employment and Training Administration, United States Department of Labor, Washington, WA, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/goc757g.
-
Roka, F. 2013. Outlook on Agricultural Labor in Florida, 2012-13. Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, FL, USA. Availabl at: http://tinyurl.com/hsw22hl.
-
Singerman, A. and P. Useche. 2016. Impact of citrus greening on citrus operations in Florida. Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, FL, USA. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/hc4q62k.
-
Taylor, E.J. 2010. Agricultural labor and migration policy. Annual Review of Resource Economics 2: 369-393.
'Agricultural labor and migration policy ' () 2 Annual Review of Resource Economics : 369 -393.
-
Taylor, E.J and D. Charlton. 2012. The end of farm labor abundance. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 34: 587-598.
'The end of farm labor abundance ' () 34 Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy : 587 -598.
-
Wexler, A. 2014. Future sours for orange crop. Barron’s. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/h5ku9zk.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Full Text Views | 160 | 106 | 15 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 155 | 124 | 18 |
Pre-employment costs associated with H-2A agricultural workers and the effects of the ‘60-minute rule’
In: International Food and Agribusiness Management ReviewSearch for other papers by Fritz M. Roka in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Skyler Simnitt in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Derek Farnsworth in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Agricultural employers increasingly are turning to the foreign guest worker program, known as H-2A, as a means to secure a legal workforce. This paper outlines the procedural aspects and costs of recruiting and hiring H-2A workers. Cost data is from a 2014 survey of citrus harvesters and defines pre-employment costs as filing fees, advertising, surety bonds, travel, and housing. The pre-employment costs associated with guest workers are estimated to be nearly $ 2,000 per worker. The survey was motivated by the ‘60-minute rule’ imposed by the U.S. Department of Labor prior to the 2012-13 citrus harvesting season. Cost data were collected across two crop season, 2012-13 and 2013-14, to analyze the cost implications of the rule. We found that the 60-minute rule significantly increased filing fees. These fees, however, represent a very small share of total costs and overall pre-employment costs associated with the H-2A program did not significantly change.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Full Text Views | 160 | 106 | 15 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 155 | 124 | 18 |