Arkansas presents an example of the strained availability of laborers for the agricultural industry across the nation. <\/p>\n
The 2014 farm sector is struggling. This is the fifth or sixth year in a row in which laborers are scarce, even with weak crops from erratic weather and growing conditions. Over the years, average crops have also diminished in size in response to a shrinking labor pool of immigrants. <\/p>\n
Immigrant laborers work incredibly hard in American fields every year. Many blame immigrants for taking away potential American jobs, but U.S. agricultural employers cannot currently hire locally — not enough people want to do the work. Few American citizens would choose a career in crop work, and the jobs remain empty.<\/p>\n
So, most farmers hire seasonal workers through the H-2A program. Employers using this route must prove they cannot hire locally before bringing in immigrants to work in temporary jobs. Arkansas presents an example of the strained availability of laborers for the agricultural industry across the nation. The 2014 farm sector is struggling. This is the fifth or sixth year in a row in which laborers are scarce, even with…<\/span><\/p>\n
\nIn Arkansas, the farming (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"