KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaican government reports that a total of 2,482 Jamaicans have traveled to the United States for employment between January and June this year under the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.
Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. told a Jamaica Central Labour Organisation (JACLO) webinar that the figure represents 36 percent of all Jamaicans who have secured overseas employment to date this year.
“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 said 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,” Charles said.
He told the webinar 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 have also moved 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 be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” Charles said.
Charles noted that while the H-2A (agricultural) program remains Jamaica’s flagship for overseas agrarian employment, the Jamaican government is actively working to expand access to the H-2B (non-agricultural) program, which facilitates temporary non-agricultural work opportunities.
He said that these individuals have contributed to the seasonal operations in states such as 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 people who fit the bill for all of those categories. In 2024, over 12,000 Jamaicans were employed through the H-2 B 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,” Charles said, adding 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 said.
and then 