The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is poised to announce an updated adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) for Florida, setting it at $16.23 in 2025. This adjustment represents a 10% increase from the $14.77 rate of the previous year. The AEWR, crucial for determining state-specific minimum wages for H-2A agricultural workers, is derived from the Farm Labor Survey outcomes. In Florida, a significant portion of the commercial citrus harvest relies on the labor of H-2A workers.
According to the Farm Labor Survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, the number of workers hired directly by farm operators across the U.S. during a specific week in October 2024 saw a 3% increase from the same period in 2023, totaling 797,000 workers. The survey also noted a 2% rise in the average gross wage for hired workers, reaching $19.11 per hour.
February 2023 saw the DOL finalizing a rule on the methodology for calculating the hourly AEWR, introducing biannual adjustments. Additionally, concerns regarding the H-2A visa program's effectiveness have led to an evaluation request by two U.S. House of Representatives committee chairs to the Government Accountability Office. The H-2A program is designed to permit the employment of foreign workers when domestic workers are not available.
Source: Citrus Industry