FMI Urges Congress to Extend Work Opportunity Tax Credit

The Food Industry Association joined 473 organizations in a letter asking Congress to renew the federal hiring incentive.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Military Jobs

FMI Urges Congress to Extend Work Opportunity Tax Credit

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Should Congress extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for employers hiring hard-to-place workers?

The Food Industry Association joined 473 other organizations and employers in a broad industry letter urging Congress to extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. The credit is used by FMI members to hire veterans, justice-involved individuals, SNAP participants, and other Americans facing barriers to employment.

Why it matters

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a federal incentive that lowers hiring costs for employers who recruit from groups that often struggle to find work. Its expiration would remove that incentive for the employers relying on it, which is why a broad coalition is pressing Congress to act.

The letter was signed by 474 total organizations, including FMI and 473 other groups and employers. FMI has supported the Work Opportunity Tax Credit since its creation 30 years ago, but the source does not say whether the bipartisan extension bill, H.R. 6231/S. 3265, will advance.

The players

Food Industry Association (FMI)

FMI is a national trade association representing food retailers and wholesalers, and it has backed the Work Opportunity Tax Credit since the program began.

Critical Labor Coalition

The Critical Labor Coalition is a multi-industry group that launched the WOTC Works campaign to push Congress toward extending the tax credit.

The details

The letter asks Congress to extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and to enact modest program reforms proposed by the Critical Labor Coalition, whose WOTC Works campaign launched earlier in 2026. The bipartisan Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, designated H.R. 6231/S. 3265, is the vehicle the coalition is backing.

Earlier in 2026: Critical Labor Coalition launches its WOTC Works campaign.
November 2, 2026: FMI and 473 other groups send the letter urging Congress to extend the credit.

Market Landscape

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit has operated for 30 years as a federal incentive for hiring from groups facing employment barriers. The coalition's push to renew it, paired with proposed modest reforms, positions the credit as a continuing tool for employers in labor-constrained sectors such as food retail.

If the credit lapses, employers who use it to hire veterans and other eligible workers would lose a federal incentive that reduces hiring costs. Job seekers in those groups could see fewer employer incentives to hire them if Congress does not act.

The takeaway

Employers that depend on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to recruit veterans and other workers facing employment barriers should track whether Congress acts on the extension. Staying informed about the bill's status gives hiring managers time to plan.