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overview
Hired farmworkers, a small part of U.S. wage and salary workers (less
than 1 percent in 1999), make an important contribution to agricultural
production, accounting for about 30 percent of all farmworkers. Hired
farmworkers help provide labor during critical production periods. Some
hired farmworkers migrate from production area to production area during
several months of the year, others work locally only during harvesting
season, and some work full time for a single employer. Although important
to agriculture, hired farmworkers continue to be one of the most economically
disadvantaged groups in the United States, experiencing low wages, seasonal
employment, weak attachment to the labor force, and limited participation
in the nonfarm labor market. During the past several years, Congress has
considered major legislation to improve farmworker living and working
conditions, including proposals related to immigration, temporary foreign
worker programs in agriculture, and an increase in the minimum wage.
Basic information on the patterns of farm labor use and the demographic
and employment characteristics of hired farmworkers helps inform the policymakers
about the effects of changing legislation. ERS research contributes to
the understanding of the supply of and demand for agricultural labor,
the socioeconomic characteristics of the agricultural work force, and
the implications of changing U.S. policies and programs for farm employment
and wages.
contents
features
The Dynamics of Hired Farm Labour: Constraints and Community Responses—This
book results from a conference sponsored by the Economic Research Service
and The Pennsylvania State University. Section I provides an overview of
changes in farm employment in developed countries, trends in the farm workforce,
and the effects of technology on labor in production agriculture. Section
II presents a series of studies that focus on issues faced by farm laborers,
their employers, and communities. Section III examines the health and safety
of the farmworker population. The conclusion compares the Current Population
Survey and the National Agricultural Workers Survey, two major U.S. data
sources. More information is available from CABI
Publishing.
Hired Farmworkers'
Earnings Increased in 2001 But Still Trail Most Occupations—After
an increase between 1999 and 2000, the number of people employed as hired
farmworkers decreased from 878,000 in 2000 to 745,000 in 2001, according
to data from the 2001 Current Population Survey (CPS). Whether this decrease
marks a new trend in farm labor numbers or represents a temporary adjustment
to changes in the farm labor market remains to be seen. Although the number
of hired farmworkers decreased, their median weekly earnings (in 2001
dollars) increased from $288 to $300.
Nonmetro Labor
Markets in the Era of Welfare Reform—Despite the economic prosperity
of the last decade, nonmetro job growth, earnings, and wage progression
seem destined to remain a step behind labor market outcomes in metro areas,
often hindering efforts under welfare reform to move recipients into successful
employment. The challenge is sometimes more difficult than an overall
assessment of nonmetro areas would suggest. First, the demographic subgroups
most in need of public assistance tend to have less education and lower
earnings, and to experience higher unemployment, than average. Second,
welfare recipients tend to be concentrated in nonmetro areas marked by
chronic economic distress, which both contributes to, and reinforces,
the need for public assistance.
recommended readings
Almost Half of Hired
Farmworkers 25 Years and Older Earn Poverty-Level Wages—The demographic
characteristics of hired farmworkers have changed little during the 1990's.
These workers continue to earn about 58 percent as much as all wage and
salary workers. About 45 percent of all hired farmworkers 25 years and
older are low-wage earners who earn less than the poverty threshold for
a family of four. Over one-third have annual family incomes of less than
$15,000.
Hired Farm Labor
in U.S. Agriculture—The match between supply and demand for labor
has always been a critical issue in agriculture. When U.S. workers are
not available to meet the demand for hired farmwork, employers have traditionally
looked to foreign workers for temporary relief. Currently, nonimmigrant
foreign workers can be employed temporarily in agriculture under the H-2A
provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Summary of Federal Laws and Regulations
Affecting Agricultural Employers, 2000—Hired farm labor is an
important part of the U.S. farm production process, and it is increasingly
necessary for agricultural employers to understand the Federal laws and
regulations governing employment, taxes, wages, and working conditions.
This ERS handbook is the only single-source publication on Federal laws
and regulations affecting agricultural employment.
recommended data products
Farm and Farm-Related
Employment—Estimates of farm and farm-related employment by State,
farm production region, and farm resource region provide valuable information
about the importance of agriculture in various geographic areas of the
country. Farm and farm-related industries, such as farm production, processing
and marketing of agricultural goods, and agricultural wholesale and retail
trade, are generally identified as industries having 50 percent or more
of their national workforce employed in providing goods and services necessary
to satisfy the final demand for agricultural products.
recent research developments
Injuries and Fatalities on U.S.
Farms—In 1997 there were 705 fatal and 50,544 nonfatal injuries
on U.S. farms. Farm operators and their families suffered 72 percent of
the fatal injuries, and hired laborers suffered 57 percent of the nonfatal
ones. This study analyzes fatal injuries by State, and nonfatal injuries
by the operator's primary occupation, age and tenure group, and by farm
type, acreage, sales, commodity and location.
related briefing rooms
related links
Agriculture Safety
& Health Conference: Using Past and Present to Map Future—Contains
papers and research on broad array of agricultural safety and health issues.
Rural Migration News—Summarizes
immigration and integration developments affecting residents of cities
and towns in agricultural areas of California and rural areas throughout
the United States.
U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Coordinator of Agricultural Labor Affairs—Contains
information on immigration, H-2A temporary Agricultural Worker Program,
and Worker Protection Standards.
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
National Agricultural Statistics Service—Contains statistics
on many agricultural related subjects, including farm labor.
U.S. Department
of Labor, National Agricultural Workers Survey—Contains demographic
profiles of hired farmworkers employed in crop production.
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau
of Labor Statistics—Contains links to several statistical series
maintained by the Bureau.
maps and images gallery
Rural Gallery—This
area of the ERS website contains information on hired
farm labor in charts and maps.
for more information, contact:
William Kandel
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: October 26,
2004
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