PERM Report: May 2025
Monthly analysis of PERM labor certification cases
Total Cases
12,595
-2,002 vs prev
Certification Rate
94.3%
-0.8% vs prev
Avg Processing
489 days
+1 days vs prev
Audit Rate
N/A
Case Outcomes
Summary
May 2025 PERM data reflects a robust labor certification environment, with 12,595 total cases processed and an overall certification rate of 94.3%. The vast majority of applications — 11,871 — received approval, while only 240 (1.9%) were outright denied and 484 (3.8%) were withdrawn, suggesting that most employers filing PERM applications are well-prepared and meeting the Department of Labor's recruitment and prevailing wage requirements. However, the average processing time of 489 days — approximately 16 months — remains a significant bottleneck for prospective EB-3 workers, reinforcing the need for early and strategic planning. Geographically, California dominates PERM filings with 2,767 cases (nearly 22% of the national total), followed by Texas and Georgia. Notably, Georgia achieved the highest state-level certification rate at 96.4%, while New York lagged slightly at 93.2% — potentially reflecting the complexity of labor market conditions or higher scrutiny in the NY metropolitan area. The concentration of filings in these five states underscores how immigration-driven labor demand remains clustered around major economic hubs, particularly in technology, services, and food processing corridors. At the industry level, Manufacturing stands out with both high volume (2,615 cases) and the highest certification rate (97.2%), suggesting well-standardized job descriptions and strong DOL compliance in that sector. Conversely, the Accommodation & Food Services industry posted the lowest certification rate at 90.3%, which likely reflects challenges around prevailing wage documentation and higher audit scrutiny in labor-intensive service roles. The presence of food processing giants like JCG Foods of Georgia and FPL Food among the top employers — alongside tech firms like Salesforce and NVIDIA — illustrates the broad cross-industry reliance on the PERM pathway.
Key Insights
- • The 94.3% overall certification rate signals that PERM remains a viable pathway for most employers, but the 3.8% withdrawal rate suggests a non-trivial share of applicants encounter problems mid-process — likely due to recruitment documentation gaps or prevailing wage issues discovered late.
- • At 489 average processing days (~16 months), applicants should initiate the PERM process well in advance of any intended immigrant visa filing, as this delay alone can significantly push back I-140 and final green card timelines.
- • California accounts for nearly 1 in 4 national PERM cases, making it the single most active PERM state. EB-3 workers in CA face both high opportunity and high competition, though the state's 94.8% cert rate is close to the national average.
- • Georgia's 96.4% certification rate — the highest among top states — may reflect the dominance of food processing employers (e.g., JCG Foods, FPL Food) with well-established PERM compliance programs and standardized job categories.
- • Manufacturing is the standout industry: high case volume AND the highest certification rate (97.2%), making it the most reliable PERM pathway by sector. This is likely driven by clearly defined job roles, consistent wage data, and experienced employer legal teams.
- • Accommodation & Food Services has the lowest certification rate (90.3%) among tracked industries. Applicants in this sector should ensure thorough prevailing wage determination and meticulous recruitment documentation to avoid denial.
- • Top employers like Salesforce and NVIDIA achieved 100% certification rates across 200+ cases each, demonstrating that large tech employers with dedicated immigration teams have essentially perfected the PERM process — a stark contrast to smaller or first-time filers.
Top States
Top Industries
Top Occupations
Industry Analysis
Source: DOL PERM Disclosure Data
Report generated: May 20, 2026