Louisiana has the nation’s 4th highest reliance on H-2A and H-2B workers, according to a recent analysis by Manifest Law. The state’s agricultural and non-agricultural industries, such as landscaping and hospitality, heavily rely on these temporary foreign workers to address seasonal labor shortages.

Seasonal Foreign Labor in Louisiana

The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal farm jobs, while the H-2B program serves employers with temporary non-agricultural labor needs. In Louisiana, the demand for H-2A workers is high, with over 104 requested workers per 10,000 resident employees.

The analysis found that the vast majority of seasonal foreign hiring requests are concentrated in farmworkers and landscapers. In Louisiana, agricultural equipment operators, farmworkers working with animals, and construction laborers are also in high demand.

Regional Differences in Seasonal Labor Demand

The balance between agricultural and non-agricultural seasonal foreign labor varies considerably across the United States. New England stands out as the region where employers rely most heavily on the H-2B program, while many of the country’s largest agricultural producers, including California and Washington, depend far more heavily on H-2A workers.

Louisiana’s reliance on seasonal foreign labor is driven primarily by its agricultural industry, with a high concentration of H-2A requests. However, the state also has a significant demand for H-2B workers in non-agricultural industries, such as hospitality and landscaping.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.