Wisconsin’s aging population and large agriculture sector complicate the picture of how the labor market is doing, says UW-La Crosse economist Marissa Eckrote-Nordland.
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Student protesters shout during a “Hands Off Our Schools” rally in front of the U.S. Department of Education’s Washington, D.C., headquarters in April. Students from several colleges and universities gathered to protest President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the department. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday blasted ongoing efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to dismantle the Department of Education, including plans to shift several of its responsibilities to other Cabinet-level agencies.
Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono hosted a forum on the issue with several Democratic colleagues. The lawmakers, joined by education leaders, advocates and leading labor union voices, said the restructuring would lead to a loss of expertise, create more bureaucracy and weaken support for students and families.
The administration announced six agreements in November with the departments of Labor, Interior, Health and Human Services and State as part of a larger effort from the administration to dismantle the 46-year-old Education Department.
Trump has sought to axe the agency in his quest to send education “back to the states” and tapped Education Secretary Linda McMahon to fulfill that mission. Much of the funding and oversight of schools already occurs at the state and local levels.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren slammed the transfers as “illegal” because of federal laws assigning specific responsibilities to the Education Department.
“Congress already passed the laws on this,” she said. “Every one of the programs that’s moving out of the Department of Education specifically says we have allocated the money for a program in the Department of Education, not in whatever random other place Secretary McMahon decides to put it.”
The Massachusetts Democrat said that if the transfers go through, “we’ve got now four federal agencies that have no experience with education suddenly in charge of more than 50 different educational programs, including ones that fund literacy, education for veterans, kids in rural school districts — you name it, it’s moving somewhere else.”
Even before the announcements of interagency agreements, the Education Department had seen several changes since Trump took office, including layoffs of hundreds of employees that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July could temporarily proceed.
In a late Tuesday statement to States Newsroom, department spokesperson Madi Biedermann said the transfers were part of a wider effort to initiate a sorely needed overhaul of the federal education bureaucracy.
“The opposition is protecting a system that produces dismal results for our students,” she said. “The Trump Administration demands better than the status quo.”
Under one of the agreements, the Education Department said the Labor Department would take on a “greater role” in administering elementary and secondary education programs currently managed under the Education Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Rachel Gittleman, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents Education Department workers, said “nobody wins, the least of all, students and educators,” when the Labor Department takes on massive education programs, noting the current workforce at Education has the right experience.
“Our staff have decades of experience with the complicated programs we’re talking about today,” Gittleman said. “These moves will cause nothing but chaos and harm for the people they’re intended to help.”
In general, the agreements “swap a highly efficient system for a chaotic, underfunded one spread across multiple agencies,” Gittleman said.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, also rebuked the administration’s efforts to gut the agency.
“What is happening here is not simply the dismantlement of the Department of Education,” she said. “It is taking away — it is abandoning the federal role in education.”
Weingarten, who leads one of the largest teachers unions in the country, added that “we should be, as a nation, expanding the federal role in public education, not supplanting states.”
Angélica Infante-Green, Rhode Island’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, said the administration’s attempts to gut the agency are “already putting our nation’s education system and our students at a disadvantage.”
Communication from the Department of Education “lacks detail,” she added.
“We get these one or two sentences with edicts that often conflict with state and federal law. What do we do? The chaos has resulted in protracted legal battles across the country, raising serious constitutional questions,” she said.
At the top of her remarks, Infante-Green also expressed her condolences for the victims, their families and the entire Brown University community after two students were killed and nine others were injured in a shooting on campus over the weekend.
Construction on a new city hall in Raleigh, N.C., was at a standstill Nov. 18 as word of immigration raids kept away most workers. Industries with large immigrant workforces, such as construction, are asking for federal relief as they combat labor shortages and raids. (Photo by Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)
As food prices remain high, the Trump administration has made it easier for farmers to hire foreign guest workers and to pay them less. Now, other industries with large immigrant workforces also are asking for relief as they combat labor shortages and raids.
Visas for temporary foreign workers are a quick fix with bipartisan support in Congress. And Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ office told Stateline that “streamlining” visas for both agricultural and other jobs is a priority for the Trump administration.
But some experts warn that such visas can be harmful if they postpone immigration overhauls that would give immigrant workers a path to green cards and citizenship.
“Lack of permanent status is costly to migrants, employers, and the broader economy,” wrote Pia Orrenius, a labor economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in a report published in June. Workers are “vulnerable to policy changes triggered by a change in administration, most recently the threat of mass deportations.”
In a Nov. 25 interview with Stateline, Orrenius said the crackdown on illegal immigration could be a good thing if it leads to permanent solutions.
“If you can stop undocumented immigration, then great. This is a great time to work on comprehensive immigration reform,” Orrenius said. “Where is there a scarcity of workers and how do we address those legally instead of illegally?”
Restaurants, construction and landscaping businesses have lost a combined 315,000 immigrant workers through August this year, more than any other industries, according to a Stateline analysis of Current Population Survey data provided by the University of Minnesota at ipums.org.
The construction industry needs more foreign worker visas like those already being provided for agriculture to prevent more delays in building everything from homes to highways, business owners say.
The industry needs help to “provide lawful workers while working to prepare more Americans for permanent careers in construction,” said Jaime Andress, testifying at a congressional hearing last month on behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America trade group. About 92% of contractors with open positions are having trouble finding enough skilled labor, whether it’s for construction of buildings, highways or utility infrastructure, she testified.
There are about 145,000 fewer immigrants working in restaurants, on average, through August of this year compared with the same period in 2024, the Stateline analysis found. There are about 127,000 fewer in construction and 43,000 fewer in landscaping.
One landscaping firm, which did not agree to an interview, lost $50,000 in contracts this year when workers stopped showing up because of rumored immigration raids, said Rebecca Shi, chief executive officer of the Chicago-based American Business Immigration Coalition, which advocates for employers seeking immigration changes.
“He had 75 workers and 50 of them didn’t show up one day because there were rumors ICE was going to be in the area,” Shi said. “Many of them were citizens and legal workers, but they were worried about family members and neighbors, so they didn’t show up either. It’s bad for the economy when you lose a worker, but it’s also the fear and uncertainty. We know restaurants that have lost 50% of staff and are at risk of closing because people just aren’t showing up.”
The coalition organized a “fly-in” in October to Washington, D.C., to ask members of Congress for more help to legalize immigrant workers through work permits in hospitality, agriculture, construction, elder care, health care and manufacturing.
In a letter dated Dec. 2, thousands of businesses in all 50 states asked the administration for an additional 64,716 H-2B visas, saying they rely on them for seasonal surges in hospitality, tourism, landscaping, forestry, seafood production and other industries.
And a bipartisan group of 33 U.S. senators from 22 states signed a letter Nov. 13 by Maine Independent Sen. Angus King and South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds asking for more H-2B seasonal employment visas.
“Employers’ workforce needs cannot be met with American workers alone,” the letter said.
Construction contractors say they need visas that are similar to the H-2A visas for agriculture that the Trump administration streamlined in October to make them easier and cheaper for farmers to hire temporary foreign workers.
The Associated General Contractors of America wants visas like the proposed new H-2C visas floated by Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker. Those would allow up to 85,000 less-skilled temporary workers in construction, hospitality and other fields to stay in this country up to nine years. The bill, introduced in September, has not advanced.
The association also supports a pathway to legal status for some workers already in the country, as proposed by Florida Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar and Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar. The bill, introduced in July, also has not advanced.
“Workforce shortages are the leading cause of construction project delays,” said Brian Turmail, a vice president at the association. “Nearly 1 out of 3 contractors have been impacted in one way or another by enhanced ICE enforcement activities. That number is almost certain to increase now that ICE has received significant boosts to its budget as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Workforce shortages are the leading cause of construction project delays.
– Brian Turmail, Associated General Contractors of America
Those industries are asking for more help as the latest federal immigration raids further affect workforces in Illinois, Maryland and North Carolina, with more raids planned in Louisiana. Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data research organization at Syracuse University, reported a “massive redeployment of government military and civilian personnel to immigration enforcement” in recent months, with total detentions reaching more than 65,000, according to a Nov. 24 report. Nearly three-quarters of those arrested have no criminal convictions.
Construction, landscaping and other industries are already heavy users of H-2B visas for temporary non-agricultural foreign workers, according to government figures reviewed by Stateline.
In fiscal year 2025, which ended in September, there were about 209,000 H-2B visas, with Texas (20,051), Florida (18,515), North Carolina (8,634), Colorado (7,723) and Louisiana (7,234) getting the most. The most common occupations were building and grounds (94,152); food service (31,403); construction (16,729); farming, fishing and forestry (15,665); and personal care (12,170).
Some of the largest users of the visas last year were Core Tech Construction of New York City, a concrete coring and cutting firm (2,619 visas); ABC Professional Tree Services of Texas, which provides land clearance services (1,913); and Progressive Solutions LLC of Arkansas, which provides herbicide application to utilities (1,882).
The H-2B visa program needs to be streamlined and expanded to be useful for employers and workers, said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the libertarian CATO Institute, who has written about the visas.
Employers don’t always get the workers they want because the United States limits H-2B visas to 33,000 twice a year. Requests for the visas have already surpassed the 33,000 cap for the first half of fiscal 2026.
“The paperwork is a nightmare for employers and there are a lot of steps for workers also,” said Bier. “And there are so few visas available that your chance of getting all you need is almost nil.”
Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@stateline.org.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
The November Farm Foundation® Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor, highlighted some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce. The symposium, held by Farm Foundation and the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aimed to convene a network of researchers and stakeholders to engage in productive discussions focused on farm labor issues. The primary goal was to strengthen and enhance ongoing farm labor research.
This forum highlighted the critical importance of farm labor to the competitiveness of US agriculture, particularly for labor-intensive commodities like fruits and vegetables. The discussion was moderated by Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, and featured panelists: Philip Martin Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis; Andrew Padovani, senior research associate with JBS International; and Alexandra Hill, assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
The Forum covered a wide range of topics, including wage rates and competition, legislative and regulatory challenges, litigation and legal actions, mechanization and labor alternatives, and economic and demographic trends.
One point brought up was that there has been no significant agricultural labor reform since 1986, making it difficult to address current labor issues. Farmers must also contend with many new regulations, including those related to wage rates and worker protection. The impact of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate and competition with countries like Mexico was also discussed.
One solution to rising labor costs is a push toward mechanization, which brings about its own set of questions around adaptation to this change. In some cases, robotic harvesters are not yet fast enough or inexpensive enough to replace human hand pickers, but the gap may be closing fastest for crops like apples.
The H2-A program was also a large part of the discussion. The use of H-2A workers is increasing, but the program’s costs and regulatory requirements are significant. The anticipated impacts of the incoming administration on the potential for ag labor reform was also briefly discussed during audience question and answer session.
Overall, the Forum underscored the urgent need for comprehensive agricultural labor reform to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of US agriculture. The discussions highlighted the complex interplay of wage rates, regulatory challenges, and the need for mechanization and alternative labor sources.
The two-hour discussion, including the audience question and answer session, was recorded and is archived on the Farm Foundation website.
The post Farm Foundation Forum Underscores Need for Comprehensive Agricultural Labor Reform appeared first on Farm Foundation.
Farmworkers play an “essential role in keeping food on our tables,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during opening remarks at a symposium held September 17-19, 2024, in Santa Cruz, California. The three-day event, “The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It,” was hosted by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) and Farm Foundation. The symposium consisted of a two-day conference plus a one-day farm tour centered around the theme of U.S. agricultural labor conditions, challenges, and solutions. Dr. Jessica Crowe, chief of the Rural Economy Branch at the USDA’s ERS, along with ERS’s farm labor team, organized the event along four key themes:
In her opening remarks, ERS Assistant Administrator Kelly Maguire stressed that although critical to the Nation’s food security, “farm work is potentially hazardous and ERS data show that farmworkers receive lower wages when compared with nonsupervisory workers outside of agriculture.” Complicating the issue, both the private and government sector will need to “accelerate adaptation to a changing landscape of farm labor,” said Maguire. This will be necessary for the United States to remain competitive as a producer of labor-intensive commodities like fruit and vegetables, she said.
The symposium’s opening remarks continued with Secretary Vilsack highlighting that “the USDA, Department of Labor, and employers can all play a role in addressing systemic challenges” while emphasizing the importance of building “a system that works for everyone… by creating value and opportunity for employers and farmworkers.”
In his keynote address, Dr. Philip Martin, professor emeritus at the University of California-Davis, outlined three responses to rising farm labor costs: an increase in mechanization, an increase in the number of migrant workers with H-2A visas, and an increase in imported produce. However, questions remain as to the extent machines can lessen labor needs by commodity, the number of workers the U.S. will need in the future and where they will come from, and whether the U.S. can import more fruits and vegetables from Mexico, Central and South America.
After opening remarks, the first day’s sessions focused on the changing farm labor force, farmworker wages, workplace safety, and farmworker health. Presenters described the changing demographics of domestic crop workers as one that is aging, increasingly coming from Southern Mexico, and more likely to have at least one chronic health condition. In addition, the number of farmworkers on migrant H-2A visas continues to increase. Several speakers discussed farmworker wages from the perspective of the farmworker and farm owner. Audience members contributed to these discussions by considering how high costs of housing factor into the discussion on wages. With respect to H-2A wages, Dr. Zach Rutledge, assistant professor at Michigan State University, discussed the adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) including how the AEWR is calculated, problems with its calculation, whether the rate is too low or too high, and how changes to the AEWR would affect H-2A and non-H-2A farm wages.
Speakers discussed the impact of farmworkers being excluded from many federal workplace protection laws on farmworker well-being. State laws are patchwork with some states providing more protection for farmworkers than other states. For example, six states have implemented (or are finalizing) heat standards for agricultural workers while three states have regulations in place for wildfire smoke. Despite agricultural workers having fewer workplace protections at the federal level than other occupations, farmworkers are exposed to hazardous conditions including extreme weather, wild animals, hazardous plants, dangerous tools, hazardous chemicals, and poor living conditions. These risks found in the workplace can lead to injuries and illnesses that are often left untreated until the problem becomes severe. Dr. Brenda Berumen assistant professor at Texas State University, described several barriers that farmworkers face to seeking medical treatment including the high cost of care, unpaid sick leave to receive treatment (resulting in lost wages), long travel times to receive certain health services, and a lack of information and resources (including information in their native language).
The sessions on the second day focused on workforce development, technology, and the H-2A visa program. Advances in technological aids in orchards and fields, such as platforms used in apple orchards, can increase labor productivity while reducing injuries associated with previous picking methods. However, adoption rates are slow as the structure and architecture of existing orchards and fields have to adapt to the new technology. In addition, robotics in fields and orchards are continuing to advance, but have a ways to go before the technology is efficient enough to be cost effective. However, patents for artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture have increased substantially in the past few years. It is yet to be seen how the increase in agricultural AI will impact farm labor.
The H-2A visa program is an increasing source of temporary agricultural labor. Presenters discussed the problems of the program, including scams and illegal fees associated with the recruitment of migrant workers, lack of oversight and accountability for employers who break laws tied to H-2A, and the tethering of farmworkers to employers by visa status. While speakers and audience members debated the impacts of H-2A wages on farmworkers and employers, overall, symposium attendees agreed that H-2A is a significant program that employers increasingly seek out to secure farm labor. Furthermore, attendees agreed that problems exist that can result in exploitation of farmworkers, during recruitment and employment. Dr. Kelly Maguire closed the symposium by thanking those involved who organized the three-day event, including the interpreters, reflecting on what was learned through formal and informal conversations, and encouraging attendees to continue to build on newly formed relationships and to nurture new perspectives and information gained during the symposium.
This post-event summary of “The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It” symposium was written by Dr. Jessica Crowe, chief of the Rural Economy Branch in the Resource and Rural Economy Division in the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).
The post Symposium on U.S. Farm Labor Conditions Discussed Sector’s Diverse Challenges and Opportunities appeared first on Farm Foundation.
Although critical to the nation’s food security, farm work is potentially hazardous, farmworkers receive lower wages when compared with nonsupervisory workers outside agriculture, and many hired farm workers lack legal work authorization and access to basic public services. For the United States to remain competitive as a producer of fruit, vegetables, and other labor-intensive commodities both private and government institutions will need to accelerate adaptation to a changing landscape of farm labor.
An upcoming conference on farm labor seeks to strengthen ongoing farm labor research by convening and developing a network of researchers and stakeholders. The Changing Landscape of Farm Labor Conditions in the United States: What the Future Holds and How to Prepare for It conference will take place September 17 to 19, 2024, in Santa Cruz, California.
The conference is presented by the USDA Economic Research Service and Farm Foundation. It will cover four key themes: trends in the farm labor force, including worker migration and the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program; labor costs, farm worker conditions, and workforce development.
Visit https://farmfoundation.swoogo.com/farmlabor for more information and to register.
The post Upcoming Farm Labor Conference Tackles Critical Issues appeared first on Farm Foundation.
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