Akron Reporter

In 2024, 26 of the 27 H-1B petitions submitted by employers classified under the Retail Trade industry located across Akron Reporter publication area were approved, according to data provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

This represents an approval rate of 96.3%, which is lower than the average in Ohio across all industries.

That year, the statewide average approval rate for H-1B petitions stood at 98%, slightly higher than 2023's 96.7%. Across the publication area, employers across all industries submitted 92 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 97.8%.

For comparison, the U.S. reported an average approval rate of 98% in 2024.

Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. It is designed to address skill gaps in the U.S. workforce while ensuring wage standards to protect both U.S. and H-1B workers. Employers must certify that they will pay H-1B workers wages equal to or greater than those of similarly qualified U.S. employees or the prevailing local wage. 

While the Retail Trade industry led the H-1B filings with 27 petitions, representing 29.3% of all submissions in Akron Reporter publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 24 petitions and represented 26.1% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, all were approved.

The employers that filed the most petitions in the Retail Trade sector in Akron Reporter publication area during 2024 included Sterling Jewelers, Inc. with 14 petitions, Zale Delaware, Inc. with 10 petitions, and Sterling Jewelers, Inc. with two.

Sterling Jewelers, Inc. and Sterling Jewelers, Inc. with one other employer led the industry in the publication area with the highest approval rate of 100% each.

Compared to 2023, the Retail Trade sector saw a 68.8% increase in the number of H-1B petitions across Akron Reporter publication area during 2024.

The United States admits around 1 million legal immigrants annually, most of whom receive permanent residence (green cards) through family sponsorship or employment-based visas. In 2023, about 1.2 million immigrants were granted green cards, a return to pre-pandemic levels. Temporary visa programs, such as the H-1B for highly skilled workers and H-2A for seasonal agricultural workers, also play a critical role in filling workforce needs.

Public opinion on immigration varies, with 46% of Americans favoring maintaining current legal immigration levels, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. Additionally, 42% believe that highly skilled workers, such as scientists, doctors, and programmers, should be prioritized for legal immigration, compared to 25% who prioritize workers filling labor shortages and 19% who emphasize family sponsorship. Despite this, family sponsorship remains the most common path to permanent residency, accounting for 63% of green cards issued in 2023.

The data in this article comes from the H-1B Employer Data Hub provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). While USCIS strives for accuracy, manual data entry and errors on paper forms submitted by applicants or petitioners may result in discrepancies in employer names, tax IDs, locations, or other details.

Rank	Industry	Total Petitions	% of All Submissions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Retail Trade	27	29.3%	96.3%	3.7%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	24	26.1%	100%	0%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	20	21.7%	95%	5%
4	Manufacturing	10	10.9%	100%	0%
5	Educational Services	6	6.5%	100%	0%
6	Construction	2	2.2%	100%	0%
7	Wholesale Trade	1	1.1%	100%	0%
7	Finance and Insurance	1	1.1%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Sterling Jewelers, Inc.	Retail Trade	16	100%	0%
Iflex, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	13	100%	0%
Zale Delaware, Inc.	Retail Trade	11	90.9%	9.1%
Akron General Medical Center	Health Care and Social Assistance	10	90%	10%
The University of Akron	Educational Services	6	100%	0%
Childrens Hospital Medical Center	Health Care and Social Assistance	4	100%	0%
Babcock and Wilcox Company	Manufacturing	3	100%	0%
Summa Physicians, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	3	100%	0%
Contitech USA, Inc.	Manufacturing	3	100%	0%
Oeconnection, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
LTA Galactic, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Fontus Blue, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Anthony Salem Inc., D.D.S.	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Wardjet, LLC	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Unity Health Network, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Associated Materials, LLC	Construction	1	100%	0%
The K Company, Inc.	Construction	1	100%	0%
Bfilter, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Ameri-Kart Kansas, Corp.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
S and a Industries Corporation	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
R H Downing	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd.	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%
Partners Physician Group	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Bober Markey Fedorovich and Compan	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Chemigon, LLC	Wholesale Trade	1	100%	0%
American Engineering Group, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Chemtech Innovators, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
DRB Systems, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Contitech North America, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%