Agriculture/farmworkers - May 16, 2011
Q. How many farmworkers are there in
A.
Average annual employment was 98,940 workers in 2010, and peak employment for 2010 was 148,680.
Q. Does Employment Security have any special programs or services for agricultural employers or workers?
A.
Yes. The department is committed to working with Washington’s agricultural employers to help meet their labor needs. In 2006,Employment Security created a 21-county Agricultural Services Program to help agricultural employers find skilled and qualified workers in a timely manner. WorkSource specialists have focused on increasing the number of jobs posted by growers and on recruiting a larger pool of experienced farmworkers. Reporters can contact Employment Security’s Communications Office at 360-902-9376 for the latest results from these efforts.
In addition, Employment Security assists with the federal Alien Employment Certification H2-A program, which allows agricultural employers to import foreign workers temporarily when there are not enough qualified U.S. workers available.
In addition, Employment Security assists with the federal Alien Employment Certification H2-A program, which allows agricultural employers to import foreign workers temporarily when there are not enough qualified U.S. workers available.
