Estimated number of H-2B workers employed in the United States, 2013
| Number of workers | |
|---|---|
| H-2B visas issued | |
| All visas issued in 2013 | 57,600 |
| 50 percent of visas issued in 2012 | 25,005 |
| 25 percent of visas issued in 2011 | 12,706 |
| Subtotal | 95,311 |
| Subtractions | |
| H-2B adjustment to LPR status via employment-based preference, 2011–2013 | -307 |
| Estimated deaths (89.5 per 100,000) | -85 |
| Total | 94,919 |
Notes: LPR refers to lawful permanent resident. We use DOL methodology to estimate the stock of H-2B workers (U.S. DOL 2011). All references to a particular year should be understood to mean the U.S. government’s fiscal year (October 1–September 30).
Sources: U.S. DOS CA 2017a; U.S. DOL 2011; adjustment of status data acquired from USCIS through a FOIA request by Lazaro Zamora of the Bipartisan Policy Center (unpublished); mortality rate calculated from Centers for Disease Control data at wonder.cdc.gov (CDC 2014)