National HBPA Applauds Biden Administration for Its Support of Seasonal Employers and Workers

A severe labor shortage ranks among the most critical challenges facing racehorse owners and trainers across the country.  As such, the National HBPA applauds the Biden administration for recognizing the importance of the H-2B program in addressing the severe labor shortage in seasonal occupations in the United States by announcing its intent to release an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural visas for FY23. Horsemen at racetracks across the country compete with a myriad of industries for the seasonal workforce. Department of Labor data from its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Surveys (JOLTS) shows that the rate of job openings has continued to increase year over year.

“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the Department of Homeland Security’s H-2B visa release to seasonal operations such as we have in the horse racing industry,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “With this visa release and with DHS understanding the importance of the timing of the release, many operations can now appropriately plan for next year. Training operations can be confident they will have the opportunity to secure the workforce they need to properly care for the horses in their stable.

“The National HBPA believes this program is a win-win for the H-2B workers, for the American worker and for America’s small and seasonal businesses. American workers are the direct beneficiary of the additional visa release. H-2B workers do not take American jobs — they create American jobs. As research from the H-2B Coalition overwhelmingly shows, every H-2B worker supports the jobs of between 3.2 and 4.6 American workers. Additionally, to receive a certification from the Department of Labor, employers are required to search the local labor market and preferentially hire qualified American workers.

“We will continue working with our advocacy team at The Ingram Group in Washington D.C. on H-2B program reform to protect the rights of American workers and H-2B workers. The National HBPA will also continue our efforts to find a permanent solution to the continuous labor shortage to ensure our industry and others have a sufficient and reliable labor force as we move forward.”