U.S. Department of Labor Announces Final Rule to Modernize and Improve the Recruitment of American Workers for Temporary Agricultural Jobs

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued a Final Rule aimed at helping Americans find open agricultural jobs by modernizing the labor market test for H-2A temporary agricultural labor certification in the Federal Register.

The improved labor market test will assess whether qualified American workers are available to fill temporary agricultural jobs by advertising all H-2A job opportunities on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, the expanded and improved version of the Department’s existing electronic job registry. SeasonalJobs.dol.gov is a mobile-friendly and centralized online platform that will offer more robust and personalized search capabilities as well as information about agricultural job opportunities in a format that is compatible with third-party job-search websites. The Department also seeks to leverage the existing localized services, knowledge, and expertise of State Workforce Agencies to promote awareness of H‑2A job opportunities.

In addition to making it easier for Americans to find and fill open jobs, the Final Rule will reduce regulatory burdens like the requirement that all employers advertise in a print newspaper of general circulation in the area of intended employment as the method of recruitment.

Interested stakeholders may obtain a factsheet on the new regulations as well as a copy of the Final Rule, published in the Federal Register, on the Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC’s) website at www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov.

The Final Rule will be effective on October 21, 2019, at 12:00 a.m. EDT.

ETA’s mission is to contribute to the more efficient functioning of the U.S. labor market by providing high-quality job training, employment, labor market information, and income maintenance services primarily through state and local workforce development systems.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.