OFLC Announces Delay of 2026 AEWR for Livestock Herding or Production on the Range

The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) posted the following announcement:

December 2, 2025. Office of Foreign Labor Certification Announces Delay in Publication of 2026 H-2A Monthly Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for Herding or Production of Livestock on the Range

Due to the recent lapse in appropriations, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is delaying publication of the Federal Register Notice (FRN) announcing the new monthly Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for herding or production of livestock on the range under the H-2A program. The monthly AEWR is based on the Employment Cost Index (ECI) produced by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which has not yet been published due to the funding lapse. Once the BLS releases the ECI, ETA will move promptly, consistent with Departmental procedures, to publish the FRN.