October 25, 2009 Vermont ski areas cut back on foreign hiring

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Vermont ski areas say they will be using fewer workers from abroad this winter because of strong local demand for jobs and new visa policies that make foreign hiring less attractive for the resorts.

The Burlington Free Press says the U.S. Labor Department announced in August that employers would have to pay travel expenses for foreign workers hired under the seasonal H-2B visa program. In response, Killington Ski Resort canceled an annual recruiting trip to South America and says it will cut its H-2B hires by 50 percent from last year.

Vermont's ski areas employ about 12,000 people annually, including seasonal positions.

Vermont Ski Areas Association President Parker Riehle says foreign workers accounted for about 650 of those jobs several years ago, but that the number has fallen sharply in the past three years.

Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com

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