Farm Labor ISSN: 1949-0909 Released December 5, 2013, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Update Alert -- December 16, 2013 The 2012 annual average number of hired workers, hours worked, and annual average wage rates for California and the United States were updated on pages 23 and 24. October Hired Workers Down Less Than 1 Percent, Wage Rates Increase Nearly 2 Percent From Previous Year Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 871,000 for the reference week of October 6-12, 2013, down less than 1 percent from the October 2012 reference week. There were 906,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of July 7-13, 2013, matching the number of hired workers during the July 2012 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $11.96 per hour during the October 2013 reference week, up nearly 2 percent from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $11.38 per hour, up 1.5 percent from a year earlier. Livestock workers earned $10.93, up 9 cents. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $11.27 per hour, was up 15 cents from a year earlier. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.7 hours during the October 2013 reference week, compared with 41.5 hours a year earlier. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $11.68 per hour during the July 2013 reference week, up nearly 3 percent from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $11.02 per hour, up nearly 3 percent. Livestock workers earned $10.88 per hour, down 1 cent from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $10.99 per hour, was up 24 cents from July 2012. Hired laborers worked an average of 40.9 hours during the July 2013 reference week, compared with 40.4 hours a year earlier. The 2013 U.S. all hired worker annual average wage rate was $11.87 per hour, up 3 percent from the 2012 annual average wage. The 2013 U.S. field worker annual average wage rate was $11.08 per hour, up 32 cents from the 2012 annual average. The 2013 U.S. annual average combined wage for field and livestock workers was $11.10, up nearly 3 percent from the 2012 annual average of $10.80 per hour. October Reference Week For the October 2013 reference week, the largest percentage increases in the number of hired workers from the previous year occurred in the Appalachian I (North Carolina and Virginia) and Southern Plains (Oklahoma and Texas) regions. In Appalachian I, strong demand from tobacco, vegetable, and nursery operations led to the overall increase. The substantial Southern Plains increase was driven by a jump in seasonal livestock and field laborers. The largest percentage decreases in the number of hired workers from the previous year occurred in the Cornbelt I (Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) and Northeast II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) regions. Cornbelt I numbers declined with substantially less workers in grain and vegetable fields, while the Northeast II decline was similarly driven by decreased demand from vegetable operations and nurseries. Average wage rates for all hired workers were above the previous year rates in the majority of regions. The largest increases occurred in Florida and the Northern Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) regions. In both regions, wages increased across all worker types with slightly more substantial increases for supervisory and skilled labor. July Reference Week For the July 2013 reference week, the largest percentage increases in the number of hired workers from the previous year occurred in the Mountain III (Arizona and New Mexico) and Southern Plains (Oklahoma and Texas) regions. The Mountain III increase was driven by strong demand for labor on field crop and dairy operations. In Southern Plains, increased vegetable and fruit harvest activity meant more workers in the field, accompanying an overall increase in seasonal help across several farm types. The largest percentage decreases in the number of hired workers from the previous year occurred in the Northeast II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) and Northern Plains (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) regions. Rainy conditions in Northeast II kept workers from the fields. Hot and dry conditions in the Northern Plains disrupted field and livestock work, driving a decrease in demand for labor. Average wage rates for all hired workers were above the previous year rates in the majority of regions. The largest increases occurred in Florida and the Mountain I (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) region. In both regions, wages increased across all worker types with slightly more substantial increases for supervisory and skilled labor. Contents Hired Workers and Wage Rates - United States............................................................ 5 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 6-12, 2013....................... 6 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 6-12, 2013............................. 7 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: July 7-13, 2013.......................... 8 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: July 7-13, 2013................................ 9 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: April 7-13, 2013......................... 10 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: April 7-13, 2013............................... 11 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: January 6-12, 2013....................... 12 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: January 6-12, 2013............................. 13 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 7-13, 2012....................... 14 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 7-13, 2012............................. 15 Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: July 8-14, 2012.......................... 16 Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: July 8-14, 2012................................ 17 Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 6-12, 2013...................................................................................... 18 Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 7-13, 2013.. 18 Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 7-13, 2012...................................................................................... 19 Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 8-14, 2012.. 19 All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 6-12, 2013........ 20 All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 7-13, 2013........... 20 All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 7-13, 2012........ 21 All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 8-14, 2012........... 21 Field and Livestock Workers by Type of Farm............................................................. 22 Hired Workers by Economic Class of Farm................................................................. 22 Hired Workers by Number of Workers on Farm.............................................................. 22 Annual Average Number of Hired Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: 2012 and 2013....... 23 Annual Average Wage Rates - Region and United States: 2012 and 2013..................................... 24 Farm Labor Regions-Map ................................................................................. 25 Farm Labor Definitions ................................................................................. 26 Survey Methodology ..................................................................................... 28 Information Contacts ................................................................................... 30 Access to NASS Reports ................................................................................. 31 Hired Workers and Wage Rates - United States [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : July 8-14, : October 7-13, : January 6-12, : April 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Farm employment : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 : Hired workers : 150 days or more ..............: 626 614 506 594 634 619 149 days or less ..............: 280 262 90 142 272 252 Total ............................: 906 876 596 736 906 871 : : : hours per week : : Hours worked by hired workers ......: 40.4 41.5 38.7 40.5 40.9 41.7 : : : dollars per hour : Wage rate 1/ : Field and livestock combined .....: 10.75 11.12 11.07 11.07 10.99 11.27 Field .........................: 10.71 11.21 10.86 10.88 11.02 11.38 Livestock .....................: 10.89 10.84 11.39 11.45 10.88 10.93 All hired workers ................: 11.36 11.75 12.02 11.89 11.68 11.96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided to some workers but the values are not included in the wage rates. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 54 39 15 41.0 Northeast II ....: 38 27 11 40.9 : Appalachian I ...: 44 29 15 35.2 Appalachian II ..: 27 18 9 42.9 : Southeast .......: 30 22 8 36.7 Florida .........: 46 38 8 37.5 : Lake ............: 73 52 21 43.4 : Cornbelt I ......: 48 32 16 39.8 Cornbelt II .....: 29 19 10 38.1 : Delta ...........: 32 21 11 43.0 : Northern Plains .: 38 24 14 45.5 : Southern Plains .: 65 45 20 38.1 : Mountain I ......: 32 22 10 47.7 Mountain II .....: 19 15 4 45.1 Mountain III ....: 23 18 5 46.5 : Pacific .........: 85 48 37 42.1 California ......: 181 144 37 43.8 : Hawaii ..........: 7 6 1 37.5 : United States ...: 871 619 252 41.7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 11.36 10.74 11.20 11.72 Northeast II ....: 11.05 11.04 11.05 11.89 : Appalachian I ...: 9.86 10.70 10.05 10.42 Appalachian II ..: 10.02 9.97 10.00 10.92 : Southeast .......: 9.95 10.12 10.00 10.71 Florida .........: 10.40 11.00 10.45 12.14 : Lake ............: 12.33 10.60 11.55 12.15 : Cornbelt I ......: 12.09 11.22 11.85 12.32 Cornbelt II .....: 12.71 12.02 12.45 13.27 : Delta ...........: 9.60 10.42 9.76 10.00 : Northern Plains .: 14.73 11.89 14.15 14.67 : Southern Plains .: 10.10 10.87 10.40 10.85 : Mountain I ......: 10.64 10.55 10.60 11.13 Mountain II .....: 10.88 11.25 11.05 12.07 Mountain III ....: 9.92 10.37 10.05 10.94 : Pacific .........: 12.82 11.86 12.75 13.28 California ......: 11.15 11.35 11.18 11.95 : Hawaii ..........: 12.85 14.30 13.00 15.06 : United States ...: 11.38 10.93 11.27 11.96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: July 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 55 39 16 38.2 Northeast II ....: 43 29 14 43.4 : Appalachian I ...: 44 28 16 38.3 Appalachian II ..: 27 17 10 38.1 : Southeast .......: 34 24 10 35.9 Florida .........: 39 34 5 39.3 : Lake ............: 72 54 18 40.7 : Cornbelt I ......: 49 35 14 36.8 Cornbelt II .....: 25 19 6 38.5 : Delta ...........: 30 21 9 42.2 : Northern Plains .: 34 23 11 41.7 : Southern Plains .: 74 46 28 37.9 : Mountain I ......: 33 23 10 44.5 Mountain II .....: 22 16 6 42.4 Mountain III ....: 22 18 4 44.4 : Pacific .........: 120 56 64 42.0 California ......: 176 146 30 43.9 : Hawaii ..........: 7 6 1 37.8 : United States ...: 906 634 272 40.9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: July 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 11.12 10.74 11.00 11.72 Northeast II ....: 10.65 11.09 10.75 11.44 : Appalachian I ...: 9.78 10.41 9.90 10.38 Appalachian II ..: 9.86 9.96 9.90 10.89 : Southeast .......: 10.20 9.80 10.10 10.74 Florida .........: 10.70 10.75 10.71 12.55 : Lake ............: 11.71 10.67 11.20 11.90 : Cornbelt I ......: 11.73 10.97 11.50 12.31 Cornbelt II .....: 11.50 12.30 11.85 12.77 : Delta ...........: 9.65 10.48 9.85 10.10 : Northern Plains .: 13.01 11.58 12.60 13.29 : Southern Plains .: 10.11 11.02 10.40 10.85 : Mountain I ......: 10.85 10.40 10.65 11.09 Mountain II .....: 10.60 10.15 10.40 11.27 Mountain III ....: 9.82 10.66 10.05 11.16 : Pacific .........: 12.01 11.92 12.00 12.38 California ......: 10.85 11.30 10.91 11.62 : Hawaii ..........: 12.95 14.10 13.07 15.19 : United States ...: 11.02 10.88 10.99 11.68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: April 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 35 27 8 40.0 Northeast II ....: 40 30 10 39.2 : Appalachian I ...: 26 21 5 39.4 Appalachian II ..: 22 16 6 38.1 : Southeast .......: 33 27 6 38.2 Florida .........: 48 37 11 40.5 : Lake ............: 56 42 14 37.6 : Cornbelt I ......: 38 32 6 37.5 Cornbelt II .....: 28 20 8 28.9 : Delta ...........: 20 17 3 40.7 : Northern Plains .: 34 29 5 40.0 : Southern Plains .: 50 41 9 39.6 : Mountain I ......: 22 19 3 43.8 Mountain II .....: 21 18 3 38.9 Mountain III ....: 21 19 2 46.6 : Pacific .........: 74 53 21 41.2 California ......: 162 141 21 44.4 : Hawaii ..........: 6 5 1 37.9 : United States ...: 736 594 142 40.5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: April 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 11.41 11.38 11.40 12.40 Northeast II ....: 11.43 11.09 11.30 12.44 : Appalachian I ...: 9.51 9.97 9.71 10.50 Appalachian II ..: 10.18 10.42 10.28 11.00 : Southeast .......: 9.71 10.62 9.94 10.76 Florida .........: 10.05 10.70 10.12 11.00 : Lake ............: 11.29 11.76 11.55 12.22 : Cornbelt I ......: 11.78 10.99 11.45 12.24 Cornbelt II .....: 12.09 12.27 12.20 13.07 : Delta ...........: 10.13 9.59 10.00 10.30 : Northern Plains .: 13.61 12.79 13.25 13.92 : Southern Plains .: 10.60 12.22 11.60 12.21 : Mountain I ......: 10.67 10.89 10.80 11.26 Mountain II .....: 11.55 10.82 11.24 12.12 Mountain III ....: 9.65 11.11 9.90 10.77 : Pacific .........: 10.86 11.32 10.95 11.73 California ......: 10.95 11.80 11.10 12.00 : Hawaii ..........: 12.65 13.20 12.70 14.72 : United States ...: 10.88 11.45 11.07 11.89 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: January 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 ------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 23 21 2 41.0 Northeast II ....: 32 27 5 38.2 : Appalachian I ...: 21 18 3 36.8 Appalachian II ..: 20 15 5 34.3 : Southeast .......: 24 19 5 36.9 Florida .........: 43 37 6 40.3 : Lake ............: 47 39 8 32.7 : Cornbelt I ......: 27 23 4 38.9 Cornbelt II .....: 28 19 9 30.8 : Delta ...........: 15 11 4 34.7 : Northern Plains .: 30 27 3 40.7 : Southern Plains .: 43 37 6 38.4 : Mountain I ......: 18 17 1 43.2 Mountain II .....: 16 14 2 40.6 Mountain III ....: 19 17 2 47.1 : Pacific .........: 50 44 6 38.2 California ......: 134 116 18 41.0 : Hawaii ..........: 6 5 1 37.8 : United States ...: 596 506 90 38.7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: January 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 11.69 11.46 11.55 12.45 Northeast II ....: 11.62 10.79 11.25 12.60 : Appalachian I ...: 9.60 9.69 9.65 10.68 Appalachian II ..: 10.42 10.33 10.39 10.92 : Southeast .......: 9.59 10.65 9.96 10.90 Florida .........: 9.75 10.85 9.88 10.88 : Lake ............: 12.65 11.46 11.85 12.55 : Cornbelt I ......: 12.03 11.39 11.70 12.92 Cornbelt II .....: 12.27 12.40 12.35 13.15 : Delta ...........: 10.41 9.34 10.00 10.46 : Northern Plains .: 13.94 13.04 13.46 14.18 : Southern Plains .: 10.63 12.18 11.53 12.17 : Mountain I ......: 10.55 10.89 10.80 11.28 Mountain II .....: 11.53 10.52 10.95 12.24 Mountain III ....: 9.50 11.22 9.85 10.72 : Pacific .........: 11.30 11.47 11.35 12.40 California ......: 10.60 11.45 10.80 11.85 : Hawaii ..........: 12.70 14.00 12.82 14.84 : United States ...: 10.86 11.39 11.07 12.02 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 7-13, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 47 31 16 41.0 Northeast II ....: 48 38 10 37.8 : Appalachian I ...: 36 21 15 39.6 Appalachian II ..: 30 19 11 37.9 : Southeast .......: 29 22 7 37.0 Florida .........: 47 39 8 37.6 : Lake ............: 72 41 31 37.2 : Cornbelt I ......: 65 43 22 37.9 Cornbelt II .....: 29 20 9 36.2 : Delta ...........: 30 17 13 41.0 : Northern Plains .: 43 33 10 43.9 : Southern Plains .: 54 39 15 39.1 : Mountain I ......: 30 20 10 53.6 Mountain II .....: 19 15 4 39.9 Mountain III ....: 21 18 3 47.0 : Pacific .........: 103 59 44 43.7 California ......: 166 133 33 46.5 : Hawaii ..........: 7 6 1 35.5 : United States ...: 876 614 262 41.5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 7-13, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 10.99 10.66 10.90 11.38 Northeast II ....: 11.48 11.83 11.55 12.13 : Appalachian I ...: 9.57 10.04 9.70 10.08 Appalachian II ..: 10.48 10.55 10.50 10.98 : Southeast .......: 10.03 9.52 9.90 10.41 Florida .........: 9.25 9.90 9.32 10.24 : Lake ............: 12.06 10.68 11.50 12.01 : Cornbelt I ......: 11.67 11.61 11.65 12.45 Cornbelt II .....: 11.87 10.84 11.50 12.09 : Delta ...........: 9.45 9.46 9.45 9.79 : Northern Plains .: 13.71 11.44 12.90 13.10 : Southern Plains .: 10.06 11.40 10.60 11.38 : Mountain I ......: 10.03 9.47 9.85 10.17 Mountain II .....: 10.74 10.12 10.45 11.63 Mountain III ....: 9.55 11.13 10.10 11.06 : Pacific .........: 13.49 11.41 13.30 13.59 California ......: 10.70 11.50 10.81 11.72 : Hawaii ..........: 12.75 13.90 12.85 15.17 : United States ...: 11.21 10.84 11.12 11.75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: July 8-14, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired :--------------------------------------------------------------- : : Expected to be employed : Region 1/ : Number :-------------------------------: Number : of : 150 days : 149 days : of hours : workers : or more : or less : worked --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 -------------- hours per week : Northeast I .....: 50 30 20 40.9 Northeast II ....: 60 40 20 37.7 : Appalachian I ...: 39 23 16 40.2 Appalachian II ..: 27 19 8 36.1 : Southeast .......: 30 22 8 36.6 Florida .........: 39 35 4 39.0 : Lake ............: 68 39 29 35.0 : Cornbelt I ......: 56 43 13 37.4 Cornbelt II .....: 30 21 9 37.6 : Delta ...........: 28 16 12 37.8 : Northern Plains .: 43 32 11 39.9 : Southern Plains .: 57 38 19 37.3 : Mountain I ......: 29 21 8 48.5 Mountain II .....: 22 15 7 40.3 Mountain III ....: 18 16 2 43.8 : Pacific .........: 127 64 63 42.6 California ......: 176 146 30 44.6 : Hawaii ..........: 7 6 1 35.1 : United States ...: 906 626 280 40.4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: July 8-14, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Type of worker : :-----------------------------------------------------: Wage rates for Region 1/ : : :Field and livestock: all hired workers : Field : Livestock : combined : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I .....: 10.91 10.49 10.80 11.21 Northeast II ....: 10.71 12.21 10.95 11.44 : Appalachian I ...: 9.28 10.65 9.60 9.92 Appalachian II ..: 10.66 10.64 10.65 11.33 : Southeast .......: 9.72 9.87 9.75 10.23 Florida .........: 9.28 9.50 9.30 10.47 : Lake ............: 10.42 10.48 10.45 11.07 : Cornbelt I ......: 11.01 11.64 11.20 12.15 Cornbelt II .....: 11.58 10.41 11.10 11.57 : Delta ...........: 9.17 9.80 9.35 9.63 : Northern Plains .: 12.40 11.66 12.10 12.49 : Southern Plains .: 9.95 11.29 10.60 11.15 : Mountain I ......: 9.76 9.38 9.60 9.87 Mountain II .....: 10.12 9.83 10.00 10.81 Mountain III ....: 10.02 10.78 10.35 11.31 : Pacific .........: 11.66 12.15 11.70 12.10 California ......: 10.75 11.55 10.85 11.61 : Hawaii ..........: 12.85 13.40 12.90 15.27 : United States ...: 10.71 10.89 10.75 11.36 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region 1/ : Field : Other : Livestock : All : crops : crops : and poultry : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 13.49 11.00 10.91 11.14 Appalachian 3/ .................: 9.78 10.14 10.18 10.03 Southeast and Florida ..........: 9.67 10.28 10.37 10.27 Lake ...........................: 13.83 11.88 10.72 11.55 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 12.47 11.41 11.90 12.07 Delta ..........................: 9.58 9.35 10.70 9.76 Northern Plains ................: 14.82 14.73 11.37 14.15 Southern Plains ................: 10.66 9.87 10.51 10.40 Mountain 5/ ....................: 10.85 10.34 10.73 10.56 Pacific and California .........: 12.27 11.70 11.28 11.67 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 11.98 11.25 10.85 11.27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Inlcudes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Inlcudes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region 1/ : Field : Other : Livestock : All : crops : crops : and poultry : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 12.62 10.72 10.74 10.88 Appalachian 3/ .................: 9.66 10.03 9.99 9.90 Southeast and Florida ..........: 9.82 10.52 10.14 10.42 Lake ...........................: 13.24 11.28 10.76 11.20 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 12.45 10.86 11.51 11.62 Delta ..........................: 9.60 9.54 10.75 9.85 Northern Plains ................: 13.24 12.16 11.46 12.60 Southern Plains ................: 11.11 10.08 10.29 10.40 Mountain 5/ ....................: 10.49 10.22 10.47 10.37 Pacific and California .........: 12.16 11.33 11.15 11.34 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 11.41 11.04 10.68 10.99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 7-13, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region 1/ : Field : Other : Livestock : All : crops : crops : and poultry : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 12.82 11.08 11.22 11.21 Appalachian 3/ .................: 10.17 10.06 9.94 10.06 Southeast and Florida ..........: 11.21 9.27 9.89 9.55 Lake ...........................: 13.37 11.56 10.81 11.50 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 12.17 11.20 11.02 11.60 Delta ..........................: 9.64 9.05 9.42 9.45 Northern Plains ................: 13.72 15.15 11.12 12.90 Southern Plains ................: 9.13 10.09 11.17 10.60 Mountain 5/ ....................: 10.10 10.20 9.95 10.10 Pacific and California .........: 11.93 11.78 11.35 11.74 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 11.75 11.15 10.71 11.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 8-14, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Region 1/ : Field : Other : Livestock : All : crops : crops : and poultry : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 12.12 10.58 11.45 10.88 Appalachian 3/ .................: 10.27 9.69 10.11 10.00 Southeast and Florida ..........: 10.37 9.30 9.64 9.50 Lake ...........................: 11.84 9.90 10.61 10.45 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 12.40 9.94 10.80 11.16 Delta ..........................: 9.52 8.95 9.30 9.35 Northern Plains ................: 13.20 10.02 11.40 12.10 Southern Plains ................: 10.20 9.51 11.29 10.60 Mountain 5/ ....................: 9.39 10.01 10.05 9.97 Pacific and California .........: 10.51 11.20 11.47 11.20 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 11.21 10.65 10.72 10.75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 6-12, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Gross value sales-$1,000 : Region 1/ :-----------------------------------------------------------: All : <50 : 50-99 : 100-249 : 250-499 : 500-999 : 1,000+ : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 11.94 10.85 11.99 11.61 10.65 12.01 11.79 Appalachian 3/ .................: 10.82 11.14 9.72 10.45 9.43 11.15 10.63 Southeast and Florida ..........: 10.74 9.72 10.13 12.17 10.32 11.95 11.58 Lake ...........................: 10.84 13.40 9.58 11.67 13.44 12.21 12.15 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 11.57 14.51 10.74 11.75 11.66 13.17 12.67 Delta ..........................: 9.99 9.46 9.39 9.23 8.99 10.44 10.00 Northern Plains ................: 8.32 17.98 12.65 12.82 16.25 14.82 14.67 Southern Plains ................: 10.19 10.00 11.77 9.89 10.39 11.49 10.85 Mountain 5/ ....................: 9.37 12.04 9.95 12.66 11.89 11.34 11.30 Pacific and California .........: 11.41 12.11 11.16 12.44 12.08 12.54 12.36 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 10.85 11.91 10.89 11.75 11.77 12.27 11.93 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 7-13, 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Gross value sales-$1,000 : Region 1/ :-----------------------------------------------------------: All : <50 : 50-99 : 100-249 : 250-499 : 500-999 : 1,000+ : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 12.16 10.38 11.89 12.71 9.86 11.60 11.59 Appalachian 3/ .................: 10.71 11.23 9.70 10.30 9.88 10.82 10.57 Southeast and Florida ..........: 10.90 9.64 10.54 13.53 10.18 11.99 11.75 Lake ...........................: 10.45 13.01 9.08 10.75 12.20 12.14 11.90 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 9.56 9.49 10.26 12.44 11.28 13.44 12.47 Delta ..........................: 9.78 9.39 9.30 10.00 9.47 10.39 10.10 Northern Plains ................: 10.04 14.31 12.25 11.40 12.41 14.63 13.29 Southern Plains ................: 10.77 8.98 12.51 11.68 10.88 11.58 10.85 Mountain 5/ ....................: 8.73 11.91 10.64 11.59 11.65 11.41 11.16 Pacific and California .........: 11.17 11.65 11.85 12.09 11.62 12.00 11.92 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 10.70 10.58 11.16 11.85 11.16 12.05 11.65 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: October 7-13, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Gross value sales-$1,000 : Region 1/ :-----------------------------------------------------------: All : <50 : 50-99 : 100-249 : 250-499 : 500-999 : 1,000+ : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 11.56 11.27 10.23 10.34 11.36 12.15 11.74 Appalachian 3/ .................: 11.57 10.89 10.97 10.88 8.82 10.88 10.48 Southeast and Florida ..........: 10.85 12.02 9.80 10.23 10.54 10.15 10.30 Lake ...........................: 10.80 10.05 11.21 11.14 13.63 11.80 12.01 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 10.69 9.72 12.14 10.87 12.01 13.24 12.34 Delta ..........................: 10.23 9.35 10.10 8.91 9.55 9.94 9.79 Northern Plains ................: 9.82 10.40 10.92 13.09 13.52 13.67 13.10 Southern Plains ................: 10.58 11.79 13.84 12.17 12.05 11.05 11.38 Mountain 5/ ....................: 11.58 13.48 9.14 10.83 9.64 10.93 10.76 Pacific and California .........: 12.31 13.06 12.72 13.16 12.90 12.30 12.43 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 10.89 11.37 11.43 11.58 11.79 11.93 11.74 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region and 48 States: July 8-14, 2012 [Excludes agricultural service workers] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Gross value sales-$1,000 : Region 1/ :-----------------------------------------------------------: All : <50 : 50-99 : 100-249 : 250-499 : 500-999 : 1,000+ : farms ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : dollars per hour : Northeast 2/ ...................: 11.25 9.80 9.67 10.22 11.48 11.81 11.33 Appalachian 3/ .................: 12.26 11.54 10.92 10.56 9.16 10.59 10.46 Southeast and Florida ..........: 11.00 10.84 9.42 9.66 9.73 10.45 10.37 Lake ...........................: 11.06 9.68 10.07 10.28 12.33 11.08 11.07 Cornbelt 4/ ....................: 13.80 8.09 11.55 11.22 11.38 12.66 11.95 Delta ..........................: 8.95 10.70 9.18 10.35 10.01 9.92 9.63 Northern Plains ................: 9.94 10.77 10.95 13.63 11.88 13.29 12.49 Southern Plains ................: 10.51 11.09 13.01 11.44 11.76 10.95 11.15 Mountain 5/ ....................: 11.02 13.63 8.69 10.81 9.17 10.78 10.51 Pacific and California .........: 11.27 12.88 13.04 12.71 12.26 11.56 11.81 : 48 States 6/ ...................: 10.75 10.80 11.12 11.61 11.23 11.50 11.34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Includes Northeast I and Northeast II. 3/ Includes Appalachian I and Appalachian II. 4/ Includes Cornbelt I and Cornbelt II. 5/ Includes Mountain I, Mountain II and Mountain III. 6/ Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. Field and Livestock Workers by Type of Farm [Excludes agricultural service workers, Alaska and Hawaii] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : July 8-14, : October 7-13, : January 6-12, : April 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Type of farm : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent : Field crops ....................: 14 16 12 12 15 17 Other crops ....................: 56 55 43 49 54 53 Livestock, dairy, and poultry ..: 30 29 45 39 31 30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hired Workers by Economic Class of Farm [Excludes agricultural service workers, Alaska and Hawaii] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : July 8-14, : October 7-13, : January 6-12, : April 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Gross value of sales : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent : Less than $50,000 ..............: 11 10 9 8 12 10 $50,000-$99,999 ................: 5 4 3 3 5 5 $100,000-$249,999 ..............: 8 8 7 7 7 8 $250,000-$499,999 ..............: 9 8 9 9 9 9 $500,000-$999,999 ..............: 12 13 11 10 10 10 $1,000,000 and over ............: 55 57 61 63 57 58 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hired Workers by Number of Workers on Farm [Excludes agricultural service workers and Alaska] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : July 8-14, : October 7-13, : January 6-12, : April 7-13, : July 7-13, : October 6-12, Gross value of sales : 2012 : 2012 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 : 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent Employed on farms hiring : 1 worker .....................: 10 11 11 9 10 10 2 workers ....................: 7 7 10 10 8 9 3-6 workers ..................: 18 18 16 17 17 16 7-10 workers .................: 9 9 9 8 7 8 11-20 workers ................: 11 12 10 11 12 12 21-50 workers ................: 14 13 14 14 13 14 51 or more workers ...........: 31 30 30 31 33 31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Average Number of Hired Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: 2012 and 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hired workers : Hours worked United States :----------------------------------------------------------- and region 1/ : 2012 : 2013 : 2012 : 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------- 1,000 ------ hours per week : Northeast I ........: 37.0 41.8 41.2 39.9 : Northeast II .......: 42.0 38.3 37.6 40.6 : Appalachian I ......: 30.5 33.8 40.2 37.3 : Appalachian II .....: 26.3 24.0 35.7 38.7 Southeast ..........: 30.3 30.3 36.5 36.9 Florida ............: 47.8 44.0 37.8 39.4 : Lake ...............: 59.0 62.0 35.7 39.3 : Cornbelt I .........: 49.0 40.5 37.6 38.2 Cornbelt II ........: 25.0 27.5 35.8 34.0 Delta ..............: 24.3 24.3 38.9 41.0 Northern Plains ....: 36.0 34.0 41.6 42.1 : Southern Plains ....: 54.0 58.0 38.8 38.4 : Mountain I .........: 26.8 26.3 46.4 45.1 Mountain II ........: 18.5 19.5 41.0 41.7 : Mountain III .......: 19.5 21.3 47.5 46.1 : Pacific ............: 85.8 82.3 42.4 41.3 : California .........: 158.3 163.3 43.5 43.4 Hawaii .............: 6.5 6.5 36.2 37.7 : United States 2/ ...: 776.3 777.3 40.3 40.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Excludes Alaska. Annual Average Wage Rates - Region and United States: 2012 and 2013 [Excludes agricultural service workers. Annual rates are averages of the published wage rates for each survey week weighted by the number of hours worked during the week] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : All hired : Field :Field and livestock United States :--------------------------------------------------- and region 1/ : 2012 : 2013 : 2012 : 2013 : 2012 : 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : dollars per hour : Northeast I ............................: 11.43 11.97 11.12 11.32 10.91 11.22 (CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT) : : Northeast II ...........................: 11.63 12.03 10.81 11.08 10.87 11.06 (DE, MD, NJ, PA) : : Appalachian I ..........................: 10.10 10.46 9.50 9.75 9.68 9.87 (NC, VA) : : Appalachian II .........................: 10.51 10.93 9.90 10.08 9.80 10.10 (KY, TN, WV) : : Southeast ..............................: 10.31 10.77 9.74 9.89 9.78 10.00 (AL, GA, SC) : Florida ................................: 10.97 11.60 9.96 10.20 9.97 10.26 : Lake ...................................: 12.05 12.15 11.55 11.96 11.30 11.49 (MI, MN, WI) : : Cornbelt I .............................: 12.48 12.40 11.57 11.90 11.74 11.63 (IL, IN, OH) : : Cornbelt II ............................: 11.85 13.07 11.80 12.19 11.41 12.22 (IA, MO) : : Delta ..................................: 9.99 10.15 9.34 9.81 9.50 9.87 (AR, LA, MS) : : Northern Plains ........................: 12.86 14.05 12.96 13.92 12.33 13.41 (KS, NE, ND, SD) : : Southern Plains ........................: 10.81 11.40 9.75 10.25 10.18 10.86 (OK, TX) : : Mountain I .............................: 10.45 11.17 10.04 10.71 9.99 10.69 (ID, MT, WY) : : Mountain II ............................: 11.26 11.89 10.19 11.09 10.08 10.89 (CO, NV, UT) : : Mountain III ...........................: 10.52 10.90 9.33 9.72 9.73 9.97 (AZ, NM) : : Pacific ................................: 12.45 12.47 11.98 11.92 12.00 11.87 (OR, WA) : California .............................: 11.64 11.85 10.56 10.92 10.75 11.01 Hawaii .................................: 15.19 14.97 12.56 12.80 12.72 12.91 : United States 2/ .......................: 11.51 11.87 10.76 11.08 10.80 11.10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Region map on page 25. 2/ Excludes Alaska. Region States Northeast I Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont. Northeast II Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Appalachian I North Carolina, Virginia. Appalachian II Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia. Southeast Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina. Lake Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Cornbelt I Illinois, Indiana, Ohio. Cornbelt II Iowa, Missouri. Delta Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi. Northern Plains Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota. Southern Plains Oklahoma, Texas. Mountain I Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. Mountain II Colorado, Nevada, Utah. Mountain III Arizona, New Mexico. Pacific Oregon, Washington. Farm Labor Definitions The following definitions are provided to assist in interpreting statistics published in Farm Labor reports. To ensure consistency in data collection, the questionnaires and instruction manual used by the interviewers provide more in-depth explanations of these terms. Farm or Ranch: A place that sells, or would normally sell, at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products during the year. Agricultural Work: Work done on a farm or ranch in connection with the production of agricultural products, including nursery and greenhouse products and animal specialties such as fur farms or apiaries. Also included is work done off the farm to handle farm related business, such as trips to buy feed or deliver products to local market. Hired Worker: Anyone, other than an agricultural service worker, who was paid for at least one hour of agricultural work on a farm or ranch. Worker type is determined by what the employee was primarily hired to do, not necessarily what work was done during the survey week. Types of workers include: Field Workers: Employees engaged in planting, tending and harvesting crops including operation of farm machinery on crop farms. The Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) codes and titles associated with field workers are 45-2041: graders and sorters of crop, nursery and greenhouse products; 45-2091: agricultural equipment operators on crop, nursery and greenhouse operations; 45-2092: farm workers and laborers on crop, nursery and greenhouse operations; 45-2099: all other agricultural workers on crop, nursery and greenhouse operations; 53-7064: packers and packagers, hand on crop, nursery and greenhouse operations. Livestock Workers: Employees tending livestock, milking cows or caring for poultry, including operation of farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations. SOC codes and titles associated with livestock workers are 45-2041: graders and sorters, farm, ranch and aquacultural animal products; 45-2093: farm workers, farms, ranch and aquacultural animal products; 45-2099: all other workers, farms, ranch and aquacultural animal products; 53-7064: packers and packagers, hand, farms, ranch and aquacultural animal products. Supervisors: Hired managers, range foremen, crew leaders, etc. SOC codes and titles associated with supervisors 11-9013: farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers; 45-1011: first-line supervisors of farming and fishing workers. Other Workers: Employees engaged in agricultural work not included in the other three categories. Bookkeepers and pilots are examples. SOC codes and titles associated with other workers include but are not limited to 45-2011: agricultural inspectors; 45-2021: animal breeders; 37-2012: pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation. For more information on the applicable Standard Occupational Classification codes, see "Crosswalk from National Agricultural Statistics Service Farm Labor Survey to the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification" at the "Surveys and Programs" page for Farm Labor, on the NASS website (http://www.nass.usda.gov). Methods of Pay: All wage rates are calculated based on total wages paid and total hours worked during the survey reference week. Wages paid other than hourly (bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) are converted to an hourly basis prior to summarization. Wages paid by piece rate (per quantity of produce picked, etc.) are also converted to an hourly basis. Perquisites: Benefits, such as cash bonuses, housing, or meals, provided to an employee in addition to pay are included in perquisites. Wage rates published in this release do not include the value of these benefits. Term of Employment: The length of time during the year the farm operator expects to employ those workers who were on the payroll during the survey week. Agricultural Service: Any farm-related service performed on a farm or ranch on a contract or fee basis. This primarily includes activities performed by contract workers on fruit, vegetable, or berry operations. It also includes custom work, veterinarian work, artificial insemination, sheep shearing, milk testing, or any other farm-related activity performed on a farm or ranch on a "fee per service" basis. The agricultural services component has been discontinued from the Farm Labor Survey. Contract Labor: Contract workers are paid by a crew leader, contractor, buyer, processor, cooperative, or other person who has an oral or written agreement with a farmer/rancher. Pruning, thinning, weeding or harvesting of fruit, vegetable or berry crops are examples. A machine is not a part of the service activity provided by the contractor. The Farm Labor Survey excludes measures of contract labor. Custom Work: Work performed by machines and labor hired as a unit. Hay baling, combining, corn or cotton picking, spraying, fertilizing, and laser leveling are examples of custom work when the equipment is included in the service activity. The Farm Labor Survey excludes measures of custom labor. Type of Farm (or Ranch): An operation is classified in the farm type which accounts for the largest portion of the total gross value of sales for its agricultural production. Types of farms broken out in this publication are: Field Crops: A farm producing wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, barley, dry beans, rye, sorghum, cotton, popcorn, tobacco, or other such crops. Other Crops: A farm producing vegetables, melons, berry crops, grapes, tree nuts, citrus fruits, deciduous tree fruits, avocados, dates, figs, olives, nursery, or greenhouse crops. This category also includes farms producing potatoes, sugar crops, hay, peanuts, hops, mint, and maple syrup. Livestock or Poultry: A farm producing cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, milk, chickens, eggs, turkeys, or animal specialties such as furs, fish, honey, etc. Gross Value of Sales: This includes all income during a year from the sale of crops, livestock, dairy, poultry, or other related agricultural products, including the landlord's share and the value of products produced under contract. When commodities are placed under CCC loan, they are considered sold. Survey Methodology Survey Procedures: The NASS Farm Labor Survey is conducted semi-annually in April and October, in all surveyed states except California. During the April data collection, data for both January and April reference weeks are collected. During the October data collection, data for both July and October reference weeks are collected. The quarterly reference week is the Sunday to Saturday period which includes the 12th day of the month. For California, collection of these data is currently conducted on a quarterly basis, as part of the California Employment Development Department monthly labor program. The target population for the Farm Labor Survey program is all farms and ranches with $1,000 or more in agricultural sales (or potential sales). An optimal sample is selected in each state with a U.S. sample size of about 12,000. The Farm Labor Survey is a multiple frame survey, incorporating samples from both the NASS list and area frames to ensure adequate coverage. Farms on the list frame are sampled through a hierarchical stratified design, with strata based on measures of size. Those operations with associated control data indicating peak numbers of workers are stratified based on these values, and those expected to employ large numbers of workers (higher peak number values) are selected with the greatest frequency. Farms on the list frame which do not have peak worker control data are stratified and sampled based on gross value of sales. Farms stratified by gross value of sales are selected at a lower frequency. In order to provide coverage of farms not currently part of the NASS list frame, a second sample is drawn consisting of segments of land selected from the NASS area frame. The area frame contains all land in the state and, as such, is complete. The land is stratified according to intensity of agriculture using satellite imagery. The land in each stratum is divided into segments of roughly one square mile. Segments are optimally allocated and sampled to effectively measure crops and livestock. The sampled segments are fully enumerated in June. All farms and ranches found operating tracts in these segments are checked to see if they are included in the list frame hired labor population. The farms and ranches that are not included in the list frame labor population, called nonoverlap tracts, are sampled for the Farm Labor Survey so that the target population is completely represented. The area frame component is enumerated during each semi-annual data collection period along with the list sample. Most respondents are first contacted through self-administered mailed questionnaires, which can be completed either by hand or securely online. All manually completed survey questionnaires are returned to the NASS National Operations Center, where they are visually reviewed and key entered. Nonresponse follow-up is completed either by computer-assisted telephone interviews conducted from NASS Data Collection Centers, or in person by an enumerator. Throughout the data collection process, steps are taken to minimize the impact of nonsampling errors such as reporting, recording, and editing errors. These steps include questionnaire testing, comprehensive interviewer training, validation, and verification of processing systems, application of detailed computer edits, and evaluation of the data via the analysis tools. Nonresponse adjustment is necessary to account for producers who refuse to participate in the survey, cannot be located during the data collection period, or who submit incomplete reports. These nonrespondents must be accounted for if accurate estimates of farm labor are to be made. For the Farm Labor Survey, nonrespondents are accounted for by adjusting the weights of the respondents. The adjustment occurs by stratum as all strata represent homogeneous groupings of similar sized farms. The adjustment is performed by individual item on the questionnaire so adjustments for item nonresponse (partial reports) and unit nonresponse (refusals and inaccessibles) are done in a single calculation. For estimation of data items, point estimates called direct expansions are calculated by multiplying the reported value by the final adjusted weight (initial sampling weight adjusted for nonresponse) and summing to a stratum total. A variance estimate is also computed at the stratum level. The nonoverlap tracts are treated as an additional stratum. Totals and variances are additive across strata to form state level point estimates. Ratio estimates are also computed for many items. For example, wage rates are calculated as the ratio of total wages to total hours worked. Ratio estimates use the reweighted estimator described above for the numerator and denominator direct expansions. Both the numerator and denominator must be usable in order for that record to be used in the ratio estimator. The number of hired workers, average hours worked, average wage rate data, and all associated sub-items are summarized from the dataset. Because an identical data collection instrument (questionnaire) and follow-up interview are used for all states, as well as identical editing, analysis, and summarization processes, state data can be summarized and regional and national survey point estimates computed. For estimation purposes, point estimates are adopted as survey indications for all data items. The summary results provide multiple direct and ratio indications for each data series being estimated. The results also provide information used to assess the performance of the current survey and evaluate the quality of the survey indications. NASS Regional Field Offices interpret the survey indications and submit state level recommendations for all member states to NASS headquarters, providing justification in cases where recommendations deviate from summary indications, as well other state specific comments and justifications. NASS headquarters completes the regional and U.S. level summaries, which utilize the same estimators and produce the same indications as the state level summaries. For the final step in the estimation process, NASS assembles a panel of statisticians to serve as the Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB), which reviews the U.S. level, regional, and state level survey indications and establishes all final, official estimates. Since larger sample sizes yield more precise results, the ASB employs the "top-down" approach by determining the U.S. level estimates first and reconciling the state recommendations to the U.S. and regional numbers for all estimates including number of hired workers, average hours worked, average wage rates, and associated sub-items. As part of the semi-annual process, the ASB also considers revised recommendations and issues revisions of previously published estimates where appropriate. Additionally, the ASB reviews the annual average estimates for the November publication, which are summarized from the final regional and U.S. level estimates for each of the four quarters. Through examining indications across states and regions, re-examining outliers, and considering state level recommendations and comments, the ASB is able to establish all final estimates according to both local conditions and regional and national conditions and trends. Revision Policy: Farm labor statistics are subject to revision semi-annually and annually. Revisions must be supported by additional data that directly affect the level of the estimate. Worker numbers and wage rates for July and October 2012, and April 2013 were subject to revision with this report. For More Information For more information on the Farm Labor Survey methodology and quality measures, see "Farm Labor Survey Methodology and Quality Measures" on the NASS website (http://www.nass.usda.gov). Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Environmental and Demographics Section of the Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov. Troy Joshua, Chief, Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch.. (202) 720-6146 Scott Shimmin, Head, Environmental and Demographics Section............ (202) 720-0684 Liana Cuffman - Census of Agriculture.............................. (202) 690-0392 Doug Farmer - Census of Agriculture................................ (202) 720-7492 Steve Peterson - Farms, Land in Farms, Census of Agriculture....... (202) 720-5581 Jackie Ross - Census of Agriculture................................ (202) 720-7644 Theresa Varner - Farm Labor........................................ (202) 690-2284 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov and in the "Follow NASS" box under "Receive reports by Email," click on "National" or "State" to select the reports you would like to receive. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.