Sp Sy 8 (11-02) Farm Labor National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released November 15, 2002, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Farm Labor" call Mark Aitken at 202-720-9525, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Hired Workers Down 5 Percent, Wage Rates up 4 Percent From a Year Ago There were 1.19 million hired workers on the Nation’s farms and ranches the week of October 6-12, 2002, down 5 percent from a year ago. There were 935 thousand workers hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 250 thousand workers. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $8.93 per hour during the October 2002 survey week, up 34 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $8.30 per hour, up 29 cents from last October. Livestock workers earned $8.44 per hour compared with $8.39 a year earlier. The Field and Livestock worker combined wage rate, at $8.33 was up 24 cents from last year. The number of hours worked averaged 40.4 hours for hired workers during the survey week compared with 41.7 hours a year ago. The largest decreases in number of hired farm workers from a year ago were in the Corn Belt II (Iowa and Missouri), Corn Belt I (Illinois, Indiana and Ohio), Pacific (Oregon and Washington), Lake (Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin) and Southern Plains (Texas and Oklahoma) regions. Over much of the Corn Belt, summer drought conditions and untimely rains impacted crop development and fall harvest. Corn Belt producers were just getting fall harvest underway during the survey week and hired fewer workers for longer hours. Cold temperatures in the Pacific region slowed the apple and grape harvests, curtailing the need for field laborers. Rain and wet soils in the eastern Lake region and most of the Southern Plains delayed harvest of most field crops, necessitating fewer workers. The largest increases in number of hired farm workers over last year occurred in the Appalachian II (Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia) region, Florida and the Mountain I (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) region. In the Appalachian II region, more workers were employed by nurseries and greenhouses as they geared up for the holidays, and fruit harvest was in full swing in the eastern part of the region. In Florida, citrus fruit harvest was accelerating, causing the need for more workers. In the Mountain I region, harvested acres were up for most field crops, which led to an increased need for workers to complete harvest, and conditions were ideal for most of the reference week. Hired farm worker wage rates were above a year ago in 12 of the 18 regions. The largest increases occurred in the Northeast II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania), California, Mountain II (Colorado, Nevada and Utah), Northern Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota) and Delta (Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi) regions. The higher wage rates in the Northeast II region were attributed to more salaried workers working fewer hours and a higher percentage of nursery workers. California's wage rate increased due to the normal seasonal shift to more full-time, higher paid employees. In the Mountain II region, winter wheat planting and fall crop harvest were nearly complete, decreasing the need for seasonal, lower paid workers. In the Northern Plains, farming operations continue to hire and maintain experienced, full-time workers. Wet conditions in the Delta led to fewer hours worked, thus increasing the average hourly wage for salaried workers. There was also a higher percentage of catfish workers in Mississippi. Regions showing the largest declines in the hired farm worker wage rates were the Corn Belt I, Southern Plains and Pacific regions. Declining hired wage rates in the Corn Belt I region were attributed to salaried employees that worked more hours during grain harvest, which lowered the average hourly rate. Calving and lambing seasons in the Southern Plains region led to more hours worked for salaried employees, lowering the hourly wage. Fruit harvest in the Pacific region was hampered by sub-freezing temperatures. Fewer higher paid fruit pickers lowered the overall average wage rate for the region. Farm Labor: Employment and Wage Rates, United States, October 6-12, 2002, with Comparisons 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : October 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Farm Employment : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : Hired Workers : 991 *1,006 935 150 Days or More : 708 *723 681 149 Days or Less : 283 283 254 : Agricultural Services : Workers Working on Farms : 262 256 250 : Hired Farm & Service Workers : 1,253 *1,262 1,185 : : : Hours per Week : Hours Worked : Hired : 41.7 *40.0 40.4 : : : Dollars per Hour : Wage Rate for : All Hired Workers 2/ 3/ : 8.59 *8.57 8.93 : Field & Livestock Combined : 8.09 8.02 8.33 Field : 8.01 *7.90 8.30 Livestock : 8.39 *8.38 8.44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ Excludes AK. 2/ Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided some workers but the values are not included in the wage rates. 3/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region and United States, October 6-12, 2002 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. : : Expected to be Employed : and : Number :-------------------------------: Number Region 2/ : of : 150 Days : 149 Days : of Hours : Workers : or More : or Less : Worked -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- Hours per Week : Northeast I : 50 36 14 41.2 Northeast II : 41 34 7 36.4 : Appalachian I : 42 25 17 33.1 Appalachian II : 36 17 19 30.3 : Southeast : 33 21 12 36.4 FL : 57 51 6 38.9 : Lake : 64 41 23 34.7 : Cornbelt I : 42 25 17 38.7 Cornbelt II : 25 13 12 34.7 : Delta : 38 29 9 38.9 : Northern Plains : 34 25 9 43.8 : Southern Plains : 58 46 12 41.7 : Mountain I : 30 21 9 45.1 Mountain II : 16 10 6 35.7 Mountain III : 19 16 3 45.7 : Pacific : 77 46 31 39.2 CA : 265 218 47 45.5 : HI : 8 7 1 37.9 : US 3/ : 935 681 254 40.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Workers and All Hired Workers by Region and United States, October 6-12, 2002 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of Worker : U.S. :--------------------------------------------: Wage Rates for and : : :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers Region 2/ : Field : Livestock : Combined : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : Northeast I : 9.16 7.70 8.76 9.36 Northeast II : 8.61 8.17 8.51 9.29 : Appalachian I : 7.57 8.00 7.70 8.21 Appalachian II : 7.13 7.46 7.21 7.50 : Southeast : 7.30 8.25 7.56 8.18 FL : 7.50 8.60 7.72 8.67 : Lake : 9.28 9.11 9.21 9.73 : Cornbelt I : 8.49 8.89 8.54 8.90 Cornbelt II : 8.69 8.30 8.59 8.81 : Delta : 7.12 7.72 7.27 7.77 : Northern Plains : 9.01 9.03 9.02 9.32 : Southern Plains : 7.05 7.32 7.18 7.57 : Mountain I : 7.84 7.95 7.89 8.13 Mountain II : 8.31 8.79 8.50 8.79 Mountain III : 7.07 8.24 7.42 8.25 : Pacific : 8.91 9.36 8.99 9.47 CA : 8.51 9.42 8.62 9.35 : HI 4/ : 9.25 9.32 11.02 : US 3/ : 8.30 8.44 8.33 8.93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. 4/ Insufficient data for livestock. Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region and United States, July 7-13, 2002 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. : : Expected to be Employed : and : Number :-------------------------------: Number Region 2/ : of : 150 Days : 149 Days : of Hours : Workers : or More : or Less : Worked -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------------- 1,000 --------------- Hours per Week : Northeast I : 44 30 14 37.8 Northeast II : 46 33 13 42.5 : Appalachian I : 60 39 21 36.5 Appalachian II : 32 16 16 29.6 : Southeast : 34 22 12 33.7 FL : 43 38 5 37.5 : Lake : 62 44 18 34.8 : Cornbelt I : 54 33 21 31.7 Cornbelt II : 30 18 12 32.1 : Delta : 37 26 11 36.9 : Northern Plains : 39 28 11 41.8 : Southern Plains : 74 55 19 39.7 : Mountain I : 30 22 8 48.3 Mountain II : 19 13 6 41.6 Mountain III : 17 14 3 42.8 : Pacific : 98 56 42 39.0 CA : *280 *230 50 *46.0 : HI : 7 6 1 38.0 : US 3/ : *1,006 *723 283 *40.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers by Region and United States, July 7-13, 2002 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of Worker : U.S. :--------------------------------------------: Wage Rates for and : : :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers Region 2/ : Field : Livestock : Combined : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : Northeast I : 8.41 7.90 8.25 9.12 Northeast II : 7.87 7.18 7.74 8.35 : Appalachian I : 7.61 7.91 7.68 8.32 Appalachian II : 7.22 7.64 7.36 7.75 : Southeast : 7.11 8.90 7.50 8.01 FL : 7.25 7.80 7.38 8.48 : Lake : 7.85 7.85 7.85 8.33 : Cornbelt I : 8.08 9.07 8.36 9.13 Cornbelt II : 8.42 10.72 8.94 9.20 : Delta : 6.70 7.10 6.80 7.07 : Northern Plains : 8.32 8.57 8.41 8.72 : Southern Plains : 7.06 7.23 7.14 7.53 : Mountain I : 7.12 7.74 7.42 7.62 Mountain II : 7.23 7.35 7.27 7.82 Mountain III : 7.15 8.11 7.43 8.03 : Pacific : 8.32 10.65 8.86 9.36 CA : *8.18 *9.65 *8.32 *8.87 : HI 4/ : 9.65 9.67 11.29 : US 3/ : *7.90 *8.38 8.02 *8.57 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. 4/ Insufficient data for livestock. Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region and United States, October 7-13, 2001 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. : : Expected to be Employed : and : Number :-------------------------------: Number Region 2/ : of : 150 Days : 149 Days : of Hours : Workers : or More 3/ : or Less 3/ : Worked -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- Hours per Week : Northeast I : 48 35 13 40.7 Northeast II : 45 35 10 44.2 : Appalachian I : 40 24 16 35.2 Appalachian II : 29 17 12 38.8 : Southeast : 37 27 10 38.1 FL : 51 44 7 41.8 : Lake : 74 42 32 40.7 : Cornbelt I : 57 43 14 36.2 Cornbelt II : 41 25 16 34.4 : Delta : 43 31 12 43.0 : Northern Plains : 41 26 15 41.0 : Southern Plains : 68 54 14 40.0 : Mountain I : 27 20 7 42.4 Mountain II : 21 13 8 43.5 Mountain III : 17 14 3 46.6 : Pacific : 89 51 38 39.4 CA : 255 200 55 46.7 : HI : 8 7 1 37.6 : US 3/ : 991 708 283 41.7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers by Region and United States, October 7-13, 2001 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of Worker : U.S. :--------------------------------------------: Wage Rates for and : : :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers Region 2/ : Field : Livestock : Combined : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : Northeast I : 8.24 7.50 8.03 8.79 Northeast II : 7.21 7.33 7.24 7.97 : Appalachian I : 7.52 8.57 7.80 8.26 Appalachian II : 7.04 7.77 7.33 7.59 : Southeast : 7.61 7.28 7.56 8.07 FL : 7.70 8.00 7.74 8.84 : Lake : 9.14 8.59 8.97 9.21 : Cornbelt I : 8.84 9.29 8.91 9.53 Cornbelt II : 8.06 9.26 8.52 8.78 : Delta : 6.83 7.37 6.91 7.13 : Northern Plains : 8.37 8.46 8.40 8.68 : Southern Plains : 7.16 7.97 7.52 8.01 : Mountain I : 6.99 7.70 7.31 7.72 Mountain II : 7.65 8.09 7.78 8.08 Mountain III : 6.87 8.13 7.25 7.85 : Pacific : 9.34 9.87 9.39 9.70 CA : 7.91 9.56 8.04 8.57 : HI 4/ : 9.32 9.39 10.78 : US 3/ : 8.01 8.39 8.09 8.59 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. 4/ Insufficient data for livestock. Field and Livestock Workers Combined: Wage Rates, by Type of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : October 7-13, 2001 : October 6-12, 2002 :--------------------------------------------------------------- Region 2/ : Field : Other :L'stk &: All : Field : Other :L'stk &: All : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : Northeast : 6.67 8.06 7.03 7.63 3/ 8.89 8.19 8.66 Appalachian : 6.94 7.67 7.96 7.59 7.20 8.10 8.04 7.48 Southeast : 6.88 7.64 8.10 7.67 7.74 7.35 8.60 7.66 Lake : 3/ 8.64 8.71 8.97 8.61 9.27 9.14 9.21 Cornbelt : 8.60 8.77 8.86 8.74 8.77 8.20 8.45 8.56 Delta : 6.83 6.74 7.44 6.91 6.77 7.64 8.02 7.27 Northern Plains : 7.70 3/ 8.44 8.40 9.01 9.25 8.90 9.02 Southern Plains : 6.82 6.98 7.98 7.52 6.72 7.40 7.17 7.18 Mountain : 7.13 7.24 7.71 7.44 8.32 7.85 7.83 7.89 Pacific : 8.19 8.26 9.63 8.37 8.14 8.59 9.30 8.69 48 States : 7.82 8.08 8.23 8.08 7.95 8.41 8.43 8.33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Hired Workers: Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm by Region and 48 States 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : October 7-13, 2001 : October 6-12, 2002 Region :---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2/ : Gross Value Sales-$1,000's : : Gross Value Sales-$1,000's : :----------------------------: All :----------------------------: All : <50 :50-99 :100-249 :250+ :Farms: <50 :50-99 :100-249 : 250+ :Farms -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : N. East : 8.40 7.63 7.66 8.57 8.38 8.09 7.85 8.52 9.79 9.33 Appal. : 7.54 6.90 7.09 8.36 7.96 7.70 6.01 7.83 8.74 7.90 S. East : 8.22 3/ 7.95 8.70 8.53 8.20 3/ 8.16 8.54 8.50 Lake : 3/ 7.92 7.75 9.70 9.21 9.53 8.01 9.48 9.83 9.73 Cornbelt : 7.82 7.68 8.81 9.62 9.23 7.91 9.18 8.59 9.01 8.87 Delta : 3/ 6.81 6.72 7.15 7.13 7.37 6.98 7.50 8.19 7.77 N. Plains: 8.34 6.81 7.77 9.28 8.68 8.20 3/ 9.15 9.40 9.32 S. Plains: 8.58 7.46 8.08 7.91 8.01 3/ 8.17 7.03 8.23 7.57 Mountain : 8.05 7.06 8.36 7.85 7.87 9.27 7.92 8.68 8.09 8.30 Pacific : 7.65 10.23 8.80 8.97 8.85 8.89 8.70 8.94 9.46 9.37 48 States: 8.02 8.31 8.01 8.80 8.56 7.93 8.28 8.40 9.22 8.92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Regions consist of the following States: Northeast: CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT. Appalachian: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV. Southeast: AL, FL, GA, SC. Lake: MI, MN, WI. Cornbelt: IA, IL, IN, MO, OH. Delta: AR, LA, MS. Northern Plains: KS, NE, ND, SD. Southern Plains: OK, TX. Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY. Pacific: CA, OR, WA. 48 States: All States, excluding AK and HI. 3/ Insufficient data. Field and Livestock Workers: Distribution by Type of Farm, 48 States 1/ 2/ 3/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type of : October 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Farm : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent of Field and Livestock Workers : Field Crops : 15 14 14 Other Crops : 57 52 57 Livestock, Dairy, : & Poultry : 28 34 29 : 100 100 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hired Workers: Distribution by Economic Class of Farm, 48 States 1/ 3/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross Value : October 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, of Sales : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent of Hired Workers : Less than $50,000 4/: 13 16 11 $50,000-$99,999 5/ : 8 7 4 $100,000-$249,999 : 14 13 13 $250,000 and over : 65 64 72 : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hired Workers: Distribution by Category, United States, 1/ 3/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : October 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Category : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent of Hired Workers Employed on Farms Hiring : 1 Worker : 10 9 7 2 Workers : 9 10 13 3-6 Workers : 19 20 17 7-10 Workers : 9 12 9 At least 11 Workers : 53 49 54 : 100 100 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ 48 States, excluding AK and HI. 2/ Field and Livestock Workers combined. 3/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 4/ Sales category changed from "Less than $40,000" to "Less than $50,000" beginning July 2002. 5/ Sales category changed from "$40,000 - $99,999" to "$50,000 - $99,999" beginning July 2002. Agricultural Services Crew leaders and custom crews provided 250,000 workers for the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of October 6-12, 2002. Service workers in California numbered 100,000 this October, down 7 percent from last year. Florida's number of service workers was 5,000, unchanged from last year. The average wages received by agricultural service workers in California and Florida were $8.80 and $9.00 per hour, respectively. Comparable wages in October 2001 were $8.63 in California and $8.70 in Florida. Agricultural Service Workers: Number, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates, for California, Florida, and United States 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number of Workers : Hours : Wage : Working on Farms : Worked 2/ : Rates 2/ 3/ State:------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Oct : Jul : Oct : Oct : Jul : Oct : Oct : Jul : Oct : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------- 1,000 ------- ------- Hours ------ Dollars per Hour : CA : 107.0 102.0 100.0 35.7 37.2 38.5 8.63 9.00 8.80 FL : 5.0 4.0 5.0 34.0 42.5 31.5 8.70 9.25 9.00 : US : 262.0 256.0 250.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Data are for Agricultural Services performed on the farm by custom service units such as crew leaders or custom crews. These statistics are not included in the State-Regional tables. 2/ United States data not available. 3/ Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided to some workers but the values are not included in the wage rates. Hired Workers: Annual Average Number and Hours Worked By Region and United States, 2001-02 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Hired Workers : Hours Worked and :----------------------------------------------------------- Region 2/ : 2001 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------- 1,000 ------ Hours per Week : Northeast I : 42.3 42.7 39.8 39.9 : Northeast II : 40.3 41.2 40.6 38.2 : Appalachian I : 38.0 41.7 36.4 36.0 : Appalachian II : 30.5 29.0 34.4 31.8 Southeast : 31.5 34.0 38.8 38.0 FL : 54.3 53.5 40.0 38.5 : Lake : 57.8 54.7 37.7 34.8 : Cornbelt I : 52.8 42.2 35.0 35.5 Cornbelt II : 26.3 26.5 35.8 33.1 Delta : 32.8 32.2 42.0 36.8 Northern Plains : 37.0 34.5 40.3 42.7 : Southern Plains : 73.8 63.2 38.7 40.5 : Mountain I : 25.8 26.5 44.5 43.6 Mountain II : 23.0 19.2 42.9 37.2 : Mountain III : 18.8 18.5 46.1 45.6 : Pacific : 72.5 73.0 39.0 38.1 : CA : 209.0 244.0 42.8 44.5 HI : 7.3 7.5 36.9 37.1 : US 3/ : 873.3 884.5 39.9 39.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. Hired Workers: Annual Average Wage Rates By Region and United States, 2001-02 1/ 4/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. : All Hired : Field : Field & Livestock and :--------------------------------------------------------------- Region 2/ : 2001 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : Northeast I : 8.72 9.26 8.23 8.82 7.94 8.53 Northeast II : 8.23 8.79 7.54 8.26 7.46 7.97 Appalachian I : 7.97 8.39 7.36 7.57 7.53 7.75 Appalachian II : 7.35 7.54 6.82 7.02 7.07 7.20 Southeast : 7.80 8.03 7.26 7.28 7.28 7.49 FL : 8.54 8.69 7.66 7.71 7.69 7.78 Lake : 9.06 9.40 8.78 8.99 8.57 8.70 Cornbelt I : 9.14 9.21 8.22 8.44 8.38 8.65 Cornbelt II : 8.63 9.26 7.99 8.41 8.33 8.91 Delta : 7.12 7.53 6.74 7.07 6.77 7.13 Northern Plains : 8.70 9.06 8.22 8.57 8.24 8.53 Southern Plains : 7.74 7.76 7.01 7.17 7.28 7.29 Mountain I : 7.79 7.96 7.13 7.53 7.43 7.70 Mountain II : 8.23 8.64 7.47 7.93 7.62 8.07 Mountain III : 7.77 8.23 6.88 7.33 7.12 7.61 Pacific : 9.06 9.30 8.52 8.42 8.60 8.71 CA : 8.67 9.13 7.89 8.31 8.02 8.44 HI : 10.83 11.07 9.26 9.40 9.29 9.42 : US 3/ : 8.45 8.80 7.78 8.11 7.86 8.17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Region map on page 16. 3/ Excludes AK. 4/ Annual rates are averages of the published wage rates for each survey week weighted by the number of hours worked during the week. The annual average for all States, Regions, and the U.S. is based on data collected for January, April, July, and October. Hired Workers: Annual Average Wage Rates By State, 2001-02 1/ 2/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : All Hired : Field : Field & Livestock State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : 2001 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Dollars per Hour : AL : 7.61 7.92 6.81 7.08 6.81 7.18 AZ : 7.58 8.04 6.84 7.32 6.88 7.35 AR : 7.20 7.56 6.88 7.41 6.85 7.35 CA : 8.67 9.13 7.89 8.31 8.02 8.44 CO : 8.22 8.57 7.57 7.90 7.61 8.07 DE : 8.41 9.02 7.57 7.80 7.76 8.00 FL : 8.54 8.69 7.66 7.71 7.69 7.78 GA : 8.42 8.53 7.96 8.00 7.87 8.06 HI : 10.83 11.07 9.26 9.40 9.29 9.42 ID : 7.95 8.05 7.14 7.50 7.66 7.87 IL : 9.01 9.67 8.29 8.63 8.35 8.94 IN : 9.80 9.19 8.66 8.92 8.81 8.76 IA : 8.98 9.67 8.24 8.47 8.59 9.30 KS : 8.87 9.63 8.05 8.85 8.18 8.64 KY : 7.48 7.50 6.70 6.76 7.07 7.10 LA : 6.84 7.47 6.61 7.10 6.64 7.08 MD : 8.92 9.58 8.30 8.85 8.00 8.50 MI : 8.96 9.62 8.15 8.62 8.18 8.66 MN : 9.53 9.73 9.90 9.76 9.26 9.12 MS : 7.27 7.55 6.66 6.56 6.79 6.89 MO : 8.19 8.68 7.78 8.35 8.01 8.33 MT : 7.62 7.95 7.38 7.86 7.15 7.56 NE : 8.51 8.62 7.80 8.05 8.17 8.34 NV : 7.62 8.14 6.90 7.44 7.07 7.52 NJ : 8.55 8.98 7.65 8.07 7.69 8.10 NM : 8.18 8.61 7.09 7.41 7.64 8.16 NY : 8.22 8.68 7.80 8.47 7.59 8.17 NC : 7.82 8.31 7.34 7.52 7.39 7.64 ND : 9.27 9.22 9.17 9.28 9.07 9.16 OH : 8.37 8.70 7.53 7.68 7.89 8.23 OK : 8.40 8.19 7.40 7.53 7.61 7.52 OR : 9.10 9.15 8.56 8.37 8.56 8.48 PA : 7.93 8.50 7.30 8.24 7.22 7.77 SC : 6.85 7.39 6.55 6.50 6.70 6.96 SD : 8.21 8.66 8.16 8.11 7.81 8.22 TN : 7.29 7.60 6.99 7.34 7.09 7.32 TX : 7.51 7.67 6.89 7.11 7.17 7.24 UT : 8.51 9.14 7.22 8.47 7.88 8.42 VA : 8.41 8.58 7.44 7.71 7.94 7.98 WA : 9.02 9.43 8.50 8.47 8.63 8.90 WV : 7.10 7.45 6.36 6.78 7.01 7.17 WI : 8.67 8.79 8.74 9.03 8.33 8.35 WY : 7.20 7.55 6.57 7.05 6.57 6.96 Oth Sts 3/ : 9.34 9.95 8.69 9.19 8.40 8.98 : US 4/ : 8.45 8.80 7.78 8.11 7.86 8.17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2/ Annual rates are averages of the published wage rates for each survey week weighted by the number of hours worked during the week. The annual average for all States, Regions, and the U.S. is based on data collected for January. 3/ Includes CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT. 4/ Excludes AK. Farm Labor Regions Region States Northeast I CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT. Northeast II DE, MD, NJ, PA. Appalachian I NC, VA. Appalachian II KY, TN, WV. Southeast AL, GA, SC. Lake MI, MN, WI. Cornbelt I IL, IN, OH. Cornbelt II IA, MO. Delta AR, LA, MS. Northern Plains KS, NE, ND, SD. Southern Plains OK, TX. Mountain I ID, MT, WY. Mountain II CO, NV, UT. Mountain III AZ, NM. Pacific OR, WA. Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates Survey Procedures: These data were collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) during the last two weeks of October using sampling procedures to ensure every employer of agricultural workers had a chance of being selected. Two samples of farm operators are selected. First, NASS maintains a list of farms that hire farm workers. Farms on this list are classified by size and type. Those expected to employ large numbers of workers are selected with greater frequency than those hiring few or no workers. A second sample consists of segments of land scientifically selected from an area sampling frame. Each June, highly trained interviewers locate each selected land segment and identify every farm operating land within the sample segment's boundaries. The names of farms found in these area segments are matched against the NASS list of farms; those not found on the list are included in the labor survey sample to represent all farms. This methodology is known as multiple frame sampling, with an area sample used to measure the incompleteness of the list. Additionally, a list of agricultural service firms was sampled in California and Florida. The survey reference week was October 6-12, 2002. Reliability: Two types of errors, sampling and non-sampling, are possible in an estimate based on a sample survey. Both types affect the "precision" of the estimates. Sampling error occurs because a complete census is not taken. The sampling error measures the variation in estimates from the average of all possible samples. An estimate of 100 with a sampling error of 1 would mean that chances are 19 out of 20 that the estimates from all possible samples averaged together would be between 98 and 102; which is the survey estimate, plus or minus two times the sampling error. The sampling error expressed as a percent of the estimate is called the relative sampling error. The relative sampling error for number of hired workers at the U.S. level is normally less than 3 percent. The relative sampling error for the number of hired workers generally ranged between 8 and 21 percent at the regional level. The U.S. all hired farm worker wage rate had a relative sampling error of 0.9 percent. The relative sampling error was 0.8 percent for the combined field and livestock worker wage rate. Relative sampling errors for the all hired farm worker wage rate generally ranged between 1 and 7 percent at the regional levels. Relative sampling errors for wage rates published by type of farm and economic class of farm ranged between 1 and 19 percent at the regional level. Non-sampling errors can occur in a complete census as well as in sample surveys. They are caused by the inability to obtain correct information from each operation sampled, differences in interpreting questions or definitions, and mistakes in editing, coding or processing the data. Special efforts are taken at each step of the survey to minimize non-sampling errors. Revision Policy: Farm labor information is subject to revision the next time the information is published or the year after the original publication date. The basis for revision must be supported by additional data that directly affect the level of the estimate. Worker numbers and wage rates for October 2001 and July 2002 were subject to revision with this report. Revisions were made and previous data are reprinted in this report for your information. Next Farm Labor Publication Date: The February 21st report will have information for the survey week of January 12-18, 2003. The report will include the number of All Hired Workers, Average Hours Worked by Hired Workers and the All Hired Worker Wage Rates at the regional and U.S. levels. The wage rate for field, livestock, and combined field and livestock workers will also be available at the regional and U.S. level. The number of Agricultural Service Workers and the corresponding wage rates will be published for California and Florida. Index Page U.S. Hired Workers on Farms, Wage Rates and Hours Worked . .3 Number of Workers and Average Hours Worked by Region and U.S. October 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 July 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 October 2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Wage Rates by Region and U.S. October 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 July 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 October 2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages October 2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 July 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 October 2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Annual Averages 2001 - 2002 Number of Workers and Average Hours Worked by Selected States, Regions, and U.S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Hired Workers Wage Rates by Region and U.S. . . . . . 14 Hired Workers Wage Rates by State . . . . . . . . . . 15 Other Labor Estimates U.S. Distribution of Workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Wage Rates by Type of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States10 Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States10 Farm Labor Region Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates. . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Revision Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The next "Farm Labor" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on February 21, 2003. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. 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