This past week, the Department of Labor has published the new Adverse Effect Wage Rate for 2022. The new wages actually start on December 29 and until new AEWR’s are published next year. This means that if you are using H-2A labor, Starting December 29, 2021 you will need to pay them and US workers in corresponding employment the NEW AEWR. These rates are set by state or groups of states.
| State | 2021 AEWR | 2022 AEWR (Dec 29, 2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $11.81 | $11.99 |
| Florida | $12.08 | $12.41 |
| Georgia | $11.81 | $11.99 |
| North Carolina | $13.15 | $14.16 |
| South Carolina | $11.81 | $11.99 |
| Virginia | $13.15 | $14.16 |
We’re also monitoring potential changes that the DoL has recently published as a proposed rule. The proposed rule has the potential to significantly affect the H-2A wages in many industries. We’re not clear on exactly how the proposed changes will affect gins that use the H-2A program. We will update as things firm up.