The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has appealed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to swiftly utilize new legislative authority to expand the issuance of H-2B visas.
This move, aimed at addressing labor shortages within the hotel industry, follows President Biden’s recent signing of legislation permitting such an expansion.
AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey said, “Hotels across the nation are economic engines for the communities they serve. But labor shortages across the economy are preventing hotels from hiring the staff they need and reaching their full economic potential,”
“DHS can help hoteliers fill tens of thousands of open jobs across the country by making available nearly 65,000 additional H-2B visas. We thank the president for signing this important policy into law and urge DHS to quickly expand the visa pool so hoteliers can meet these critical workforce needs.”
The legislation, signed into law by President Biden on March 23, allows DHS to increase the quota of H-2B visas if it is determined that the labor demands of U.S. businesses cannot be met with domestic workers. This potential increase in visas is seen as a vital step towards filling tens of thousands of vacant positions within the hospitality sector, especially in remote and seasonal locations.
Ashley McNeil, AHLA Vice President for Federal Affairs and chair of the H-2B Coalition, played a key role in achieving this legislative milestone. In the past, DHS has already expanded the H-2B visa program in response to the urgent need for seasonal workers, adding 64,716 visas.
Despite offering competitive wages and benefits to attract domestic workers, the hotel industry still faces over 80,000 job vacancies. The national average wage for hotel workers was recorded at a near-record $23.86 per hour in January, showcasing a 30% increase in wages since the pandemic, outpacing the general economy’s wage growth.
The labor shortage issue is further compounded by the overall U.S. job market, with 8.9 million job openings and only 6.1 million workers available to fill them. AHLA’s push for the expansion of H-2B visas is a strategic effort to bridge this gap and support the hospitality industry’s recovery and growth.
