Jamaican workers miss jobs on Cape Cod

CAPE COD, Mass., June 8 (UPI) -- Many Jamaican workers who traditionally come to Massachusetts' Cape Cod for the summer tourism rush say they are unable to get visas this year.

As federal lawmakers mull an immigration overhaul, the number of seasonal work visas is capped, blocking many Jamaicans from their jobs in the United States, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.

"It seems strange to my body, because I'm used to working now, and I'm not doing the tasks I'm accustomed to doing," said Janet Lawrence, 44. "I call it 'worksick,' like homesick."

Employers in Cape Cod say the influx of seasonal workers has helped fill a labor shortage, while Jamaicans say the jobs have allowed them to make more money than they could back home.

The newspaper said an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 foreign workers have traveled to the Cape and islands each year on seasonal H2B visas, including more than 1,000 Jamaicans.

"If I worked in Jamaica, I would probably have children sleeping in one room, or in the hall," Lawrence said. "When you're able to have your children be safe, and not go outside to use the bathroom, that means a lot."