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Regulatory

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
3%
IN SELECT SKI STATES 20 ski areas

2.8%

3.8% 3.8% 28 ski areas

14 ski areas 3.1%
3.7% 20 26 ski areas
13 ski areas ski
areas
3.4% 2.8% 3.2%

17 ski areas 4 ski areas 30 ski
areas

3.1%

14 ski areas 2.3%
31 ski areas

These states represent
approximately half of all ski areas
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
(March 2017 unemployment rates) in the U.S., and account for nearly
60 percent of all skier visits in U.S.

that employers seeking to use J-1 visa students may have Myth: Employers use J-1 visas students because they are more
to demonstrate their efforts to hire Americans first. This affordable than domestic American workers.
requirement would be similar to the long-standing require- Fact: The White House claims that employers use J-1s
ment of advertising available positions in various media, because they don’t pay FICA and state/federal unemploy-
prior to applying for H-2b visas. ment tax, saving roughly 10 percent compared to American
Unlike other businesses using the J-1 visa program— workers. While employers do not pay these taxes, overall it is
such as beach resorts, national park concessionaires, more expensive to use J-1 visas than domestic workers, when
summer hotels, and restaurants—ski areas have a much including costs for recruiting, processing, administration,
stronger position in arguing that our labor shortages are and so on. Moreover, by law, employers must pay J-1s the
more pronounced and troubling, since American college same rate of pay as American workers in similar positions.
students cannot fill open positions at ski areas during the
winter season, as they could arguably during the American Myth: Employers do not hire Americans first.
summer college break. As a key part of our education effort, Fact: Ski areas make strong efforts to offer all jobs to
NSAA has been circulating information on the historically Americans first, but they cannot fill them despite ads, local
low unemployment rates facing many states and counties job fairs, etc. For most seasonal jobs, especially in rural
where ski areas are concentrated, to reinforce the point locations, there are not enough people interested in taking
that this immigration program is critical as a source of them. J-1 visa students do not replace American workers,
seasonal labor. they supplement them. J-1 visa students cannot stay through
Along these lines, NSAA has prepared the following the full ski season because they typically return to college
responses regarding various myths and falsehoods pedaled by before Spring Break and Easter, two critical periods of the
the anti-immigrant community about the J-1 visa program, ski season. Ski areas must still maintain a strong American
specifically as it relates to the ski industry, which we are workforce for these periods, something that is challenging
sharing with Capitol Hill and the media. even with the J-1 program.

10 | NSAA JOURNAL | EARLY WINTER 2017