KINGSTON, Jamaica — A total of 2,482 Jamaicans travelled to the United States (US) for employment between January and June 2025 under the H-2A (agricultural) and H-2B (non-agricultural) visa programmes.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr, made the disclosure during a Jamaica Central Labour Organisation (JACLO) webinar on Thursday.

He said the figure represents 36 per cent of all Jamaicans who have secured overseas employment for the year- to-date.
“For us, it’s not just numbers. These are our sons, our daughters, our mothers, our fathers whose lives and communities are being transformed and impacted because they have access to meaningful work,” Charles said.

He noted that the ministry continues to support participants in the Overseas Employment Programme through skills training, work readiness preparation and the management of a national database of pre-screened workers.

“We respond swiftly to your needs as employers and we also conduct pre-departure orientation, covering labour rights, financial literacy and cultural expectations. Again [this is] another element in Jamaica’s effort to prepare our candidates for the transition to this jurisdiction where we want them to expose themselves but also to represent Jamaica with excellence,” he said.

He further noted that liaison officers play a vital role in safeguarding the welfare of Jamaican workers overseas, helping to resolve disputes, and ensuring that both workers and employers are supported throughout the employment period.

“Many of our employers can testify that our liaison officers become their best friends, because they’re the ones whom they can rely on sometimes to communicate, sometimes to understand. Additionally, we also have moved, now, to have a sort of mentorship programme where we pair the experienced workers with the newcomers, promoting discipline, emotional preparedness, and just getting them to really be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” the minister said.

Charles noted that while the H-2A programme remains Jamaica’s flagship for overseas agricultural employment, the Government is actively working to expand access to the H-2B programme, which facilitates temporary non-agricultural work opportunities.

He stated that these individuals have contributed to the seasonal operations in states like Florida, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri and Colorado.

“This programme has created valuable opportunities, seeing many openings in hospitality, landscaping, construction, janitorial services, seafood processing and amusement and recreation. We have persons who fit the bill for all of those categories. In 2024, over 12,000 Jamaicans were employed through theH-2B programme,”Charles said.

“These workers continue to shine in their roles, some of them are cooks, housekeepers, drivers, bartenders, landscapers [and] front desk agents… They are the face of hospitality in your jurisdiction. Many of them come with significant experience from a country that relies on tourism and, therefore, we have refined experts here who are not only certified but experienced most times before they come,” the minister added.

Charles also pointed out that as labour shortages continue to affect seasonal industries across the United States, Jamaica remains strategically positioned to respond.

“We are nearshore, and by investing in worker readiness, expanding our talent pools [and] reinforcing ethical recruitment, we are ensuring that our labour programmes remain agile, reliable and impactful and that we are ready to partner with you,” he stated.

—JIS