New Pay Rules Hit for H-2A Foreign Farm Workers
Published Date: 7/11/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of Labor just updated the minimum wages that farmers must pay temporary foreign farm workers (H-2A workers) for certain jobs outside livestock herding. These new wage rates help protect U.S. workers by making sure everyone gets fair pay. The changes kick in soon and affect employers hiring seasonal farm workers across various states.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Employers Must Pay Updated AEWRs
If you hire temporary or seasonal farmworkers (H-2A), you must offer, advertise, and pay the updated Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for covered jobs. These AEWRs are the minimum wages the Department of Labor requires employers to pay so U.S. workers in similar jobs are not harmed.
Workers Protected by Minimum Wage Update
If you work in seasonal or temporary farm jobs, the updated AEWRs set the minimum wages that must be paid to H-2A workers and to U.S. workers in the same jobs. These rates are meant to protect U.S. workers' wages and working conditions by preventing lower-paid foreign labor from undercutting them.
Which Jobs and Areas Are Covered
The updated AEWRs apply to agricultural jobs that are not livestock herding on the range (non-range occupations) and to certain field and livestock worker jobs located in States or regions where the USDA Farm Labor Survey does not report a wage. The notice bases these AEWRs on wage data from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey.
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Key Dates
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