DOL Announces October 1 Demand

DOL announced increased worker requests for October 1 start date

On July 10, the Department of Labor shared it has received 2,157 applications representing 40,947 worker requests for an October start. Last year, DOL received 1,360 applications totaling 29,856 positions. This represents a 37% increase in positions requested over last year.

Requests may not become approved applications

We should be rightfully concerned with the growing program demand, but perspective is important. In our brief look at the filings, there are hundreds of applications for employers in industries with atypical seasonal needs. They will have to prove this need and it is not a guarantee that DOL will approve their applications.

Also, in keeping with a growing trend over the past number of seasons, there continues to be a large number of employers with historical spring start dates filing an additional application for an October 1 date of need. This will, conceivably, reduce the demand for the second half visa allotment in Spring 2024. 

While the increase in applications is concerning, the true demand will be evident in about six weeks. This is when we will know how many of the requested positions DOL has actually certified.

Impact to Northern Triangle demand

Through the end of May, the State Department has issued 15,377 H-2B visas in the Northern Triangle (compared to 15,273 total visas in FY22). We expect another 2,000-3,000 visas to be issued before the end of the fiscal year. Overall, the experiences of employers and agents were mixed.

In the coming weeks, we will issue a detailed "lessons learned" report and our Summer Strategy Session and Retreat in Coeur D'Alene, ID will include a session dedicated to the initiative and where we go from here.