PERM Report: September 2025

The September 2025 PERM labor certification data reflects a robust certification environment, with 14,329 total cases processed and a 92.1% certification rate — indicating that the vast majority of employer-sponsored applications successfully cleared the labor market test. Of the cases resolved, 13,196 were certified, while 475 were denied and 658 withdrawn. The average processing time of 451 days (roughly 15 months) underscores the significant wait EB-3 applicants and their employers must plan for, reinforcing the importance of early and meticulous filing. Geographically, California led all states with 2,507 cases, though Georgia stood out with the highest certification rate among top states at 96.1% — a notable edge over the national average. Texas and New York also contributed substantial case volumes, each with certification rates near or above the national baseline. At the industry level, Manufacturing posted the strongest certification rate at 94.2%, while the Information sector lagged at 88.4%, suggesting stricter scrutiny or higher denial rates for tech-adjacent roles. Professional Services dominated by volume with over 4,000 cases, reflecting the continued dominance of corporate and technical employer filings. Occupation-level data reveals a stark wage divide. Software Developers were the most-filed occupation by a wide margin (2,794 cases, avg. wage $142,871), yet the Information industry's below-average certification rate hints at elevated denial risk in this space. Meanwhile, food processing roles — Meat/Poultry Cutters and Hand Packers — appeared in large numbers at wages well below $25,000, largely driven by agribusiness employers like South Georgia Pecan Company (99.7% cert rate) and FPL Food (100% cert rate). Microsoft's notably low 72.8% certification rate despite 206 filings signals that high-profile tech employers face meaningful denial exposure, likely due to audit activity or stricter prevailing wage compliance reviews.