Which States Request the Most Seasonal Foreign Labor?
Seasonal foreign labor requests make up the largest workforce share in Gulf and Northwest border states
Source: Manifest Law analysis of U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data
Seasonal foreign labor demand is most concentrated in a mix of agricultural and Gulf Coast states, where certified labor requests account for a comparatively large share of the local workforce. Measured by requested workers per 10,000 resident employees, North Dakota ranks first with 179 requested seasonal foreign workers, followed by South Dakota (132), Idaho (111), Louisiana (104), and Montana (95). Other states with relatively high concentrations include Mississippi (87), Washington (83), Georgia (81), Maine (79), and Florida (74). Although these states rely on different industries—from agriculture in the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest to seafood, hospitality, and tourism along the Gulf Coast—they share a common reliance on seasonal labor to meet recurring workforce shortages.
The ranking shifts when measured by the total number of requested seasonal foreign workers rather than workforce concentration. Florida leads the nation with 78,647 requested workers in certified labor cases, followed by Georgia (42,337), California (38,377), Texas (37,128), and Washington (32,099). Large populations and diverse economies allow many of these states to generate substantial demand even when seasonal foreign labor represents a smaller share of the overall workforce than in less populous states.
The metropolitan data further illustrates how seasonal labor demand is often concentrated in agricultural communities. Among all metropolitan and micropolitan areas, Othello, Washington, recorded the nation's highest concentration, with 11,482 requested seasonal foreign workers per 10,000 resident employees. Other leading communities include Clewiston, Florida (5,947), Arcadia, Florida (5,386), Moses Lake, Washington (4,976), and Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, Washington (2,666). These communities are major agricultural production centers where seasonal hiring demand can approach or even exceed the size of the local resident workforce during peak growing seasons.
That pattern extends across larger metropolitan areas as well, although at lower concentrations. Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater, Florida, ranks first among large metropolitan areas with 137 requested seasonal foreign workers per 10,000 resident employees, while Naples–Marco Island, Florida, leads midsize metros with 510. Together, the metro-level rankings demonstrate that seasonal foreign labor demand is often shaped by highly localized industries, with agricultural regions generating especially large concentrations of certified labor requests relative to the size of their resident workforce.
This analysis was conducted by researchers at Manifest Law using certified labor certification data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification Performance Data and employment estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. For complete results, see U.S. Cities and States Most Reliant on Seasonal Foreign Labor on Manifest Law. For more detailed information about how the study was conducted, see the methodology section below.
Looking Ahead: The H-2A and H-2B Outlook
Demand for seasonal foreign labor is expected to remain strong as employers continue to face persistent workforce shortages in agriculture, hospitality, landscaping, seafood processing, forestry, and other industries with highly seasonal labor needs. Demographic trends, including an aging domestic workforce and lower labor force participation in many physically demanding occupations, have contributed to continued reliance on the H-2A and H-2B programs. While H-2A requests can continue to grow without a statutory cap, demand for H-2B workers is likely to remain constrained by the program's annual limit, even as Congress and the Department of Homeland Security have repeatedly authorized supplemental visas in recent years to help employers experiencing severe labor shortages.
At the same time, both programs remain at the center of broader immigration and labor policy debates. Agricultural groups have continued to advocate for reforms that would streamline the H-2A process and expand eligibility to year-round agricultural industries such as dairy and livestock production, while business organizations representing seasonal employers have pushed for a permanent increase to the H-2B cap. Worker advocates, meanwhile, have called for stronger labor protections and enforcement to ensure temporary foreign workers receive fair wages and working conditions. How policymakers balance employer demand, worker protections, and broader immigration priorities will likely shape the future of seasonal foreign labor in the United States for years to come.
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