# US certifications of seasonal foreign farm workers rose more than sevenfold to about 385,000 in fiscal 2024, while machines mostly help pickers rather than replace them

Page: https://flyvolo.ai/en/changes/ev-20251118-farmer-6
Date: 2025-11-18 · Stage: Labour impact
Can this record move a task judgement? yes
Occupation: https://flyvolo.ai/en/careers/farmer

## Scope

United States. The statistics agency's page says the number of H-2A positions requested and approved increased more than sevenfold in 19 years, from just over 48,000 certified in fiscal 2005 to around 385,000 in fiscal 2024; that labour-cost shares have generally risen in the more labour-intensive fruit and vegetable industries; and that some growers are adopting mechanical aids such as hydraulic platforms that replace ladders in tree-fruit harvesting. H-2A positions are not broken down by task, so this is not a count of hand-harvest workers.

## Source

- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service — Farm Labor (topic page, updated 18 November 2025) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor (primary source)

## What this means

US farms are hiring far more seasonal hands, not fewer, and the machines they add help the picker.

## What it does not show yet

Seasonal visas cover more than harvesting, and the page gives no task breakdown.

## How to verify it yourself

Open the USDA ERS 'Farm Labor' topic page and find "to around 385,000 in FY 2024".


More: https://flyvolo.ai/llms.txt