Uncertainty over foreign temporary worker program puts pressure on Missouri firms
BRANSON MO NEWS:
ST. LOUIS • So far this year, more than 1,750 unskilled labor jobs have been advertised in Missouri that are pretty much guaranteed if applicants can pass a drug test. Most of the positions are in the St. Louis region and pay $13.81 an hour, plus $20.72 an hour for overtime.That’s the prevailing wage set by the federal government’s H-2B program for foreign seasonal workers. The jobs must first be offered to U.S. citizens, but they rarely apply — or last.“We’ve had one application in the past three years off those ads,” said Jason Rives, general manager of Brake Landscaping and Lawncare.
Instead, Rives said he hopes 95 laborers from Mexico will be able to step up, as they’ve done in the past. Many landscaping companies in the region — large and small — say they do the same to keep their businesses going strong and to support full-time office and supervisor jobs.The companies say a domestic labor force to maintain residential yards and commercial grounds doesn’t exist anymore. American laborers who are willing and able often move up the ladder to higher-paying, year-round jobs, such as in construction, while high school and college students aren’t showing up in the summer like they used to.The reliance on seasonal workers from abroad has been a well-documented economic issue. But there is a lot of uncertainty in the H-2B program since the November 2016 presidential elections that is putting pressure on landscaping firms as well as the hospitality and tourism industries.There’s been an unprecedented number of visa applications from employers this year, and the policy is more uncertain than usual. Companies want to be able to plan better for what’s to come and ensure more growth.“We jump through the government’s hoops every year …
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