The National Agricultural Workers Survey

What is the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS)?

The U.S. Department of Labor is the only national information source on the demographics, and working and living conditions of U.S. farmworkers. Since the NAWS began surveying farmworkers in 1988, it has collected information from over 25,000 workers. The survey samples all crop farmworkers in three cycles each year in order to capture the seasonality of the work. The NAWS locates and samples workers at their work sites, avoiding the well-publicized undercount of this difficult-to-find population. During the initial contact, arrangements are made to interview the respondent at home or at another convenient location.

What information does the NAWS collect?

Household and family composition The NAWS interview contains a family grid that asks basic demographic information for all household members, and records information about each person's education level and migration patterns.

Additional Demographics The NAWS collects a more comprehensive demographic profile of the farmworker himself including language ability, contacts in non-agricultural jobs, and parental involvement in agriculture.

Employment History The NAWS compiles a full year of information on the employment and geographic movement of the farmworker. This history covers the occupation, including task and crop if employed in agriculture, type of non-agricultural work if employed off the farm, periods of unemployment and periods abroad, and the worker's location for every week of the year preceding the interview.

Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions The NAWS collects information on payment method (piece or hourly) and wages, on health insurance, on workers compensation and unemployment insurance, and on other benefits and working conditions.

Health, Safety and Housing The NAWS gathers information on medical history, use of medical services, participation in pesticide training, and on the worker's housing arrangements.

Income and Assets, Social Services and Legal Status The NAWS questionnaire has a series of questions on personal and family income, assets held in the United States and abroad, use of social services, and legal or immigration status.

How are the data disseminated?

The NAWS periodically produces research reports. The following eight are available at no charge:

1. Findings from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) 1990: A Demographic and Employment Profile of Perishable Crop Farm Workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 1. July 1991.

2. Findings from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) 1989: A Demographic and Employment Profile of Perishable Crop Farm Workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 2. November 1991.

3. California Findings from the national Agricultural Workers Survey: A Demographic and Employment Profile of Perishable Crop Farm Workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 3. 1993.

4. U.S. Farmworkers In the Post-Irca Period, Based on Data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 4. March 1993.

5. Migrant Farmworkers: Pursuing Security in an Unstable Labor Market. Based on Data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 5. May 1994.

6. A PROFILE OF U.S. FARMWORKERS: Demographics, Household Composition, Income and Use of Services. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 6. April 1997.

7. Who Works on California Farms? Demographic and Employment Findings From The National Agricultural Workers Survey. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, NAWS Report No. 7. 1998.

Findings from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS): A Demographic and Employment Profile of United States Farmworkers. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Program Economics, Research Report No. 8. March 2000.

Census of Agriculture (1992) Total Labor Bill

Available for every county in the United States. (Useful for estimating Crop and Livestock workers populations by county)

How do I contact the NAWS?

To order reports or the questionnaire contact Daniel Carroll at carroll-daniel@dol.gov, at 202-693-5077, Rm.S2312, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210.