USDA U"'^®^ States

Department of

Agriculture

Agricultural

Economic

Report

Number 748

An Economic Research Service Report

Profile of Hired FarmworkerSy1Í?94

Annual Averages

Jack L Runyan
»iSiSSië^SaSgSHiSSS^SSiafSSSS

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Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages. By Jack L. Runyan.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Rural Economy

Division. Agricultural Economic Report No. 748.

Abstract

An average of 779,000 persons 15 years of age and older did hired farmwork

each week as their primary job in 1994. An additional 66,000 persons did hired

farmwork each week as their secondary job (a new classification for hired farmworkers in 1994). Hired farmworkers were more likely than all U.S. wage and

salary workers to be male, Hispanic, younger, less educated, never married, and

non-U.S. citizens. They continued to have eamings well below those of all wage

and salary workers, although the wage gap has narrowed since 1990. After controlling for the effects of inflation, hired farmworkers' median eamings increased

5 percent between 1990 and 1994, while median weekly eamings for all wage

and salary workers decreased about 2 percent. Almost 40 percent were employed

in the South census region, and 36 percent were employed in the West census

region. This report examines regional and stmctural patterns of farm labor use,

and demographic and employment characteristics of hired farmworkers, using

data from the 1992 Census ofAgriculture and the 1994 Current Population

Survey (CPS) eamings microdata file.

Keywords: Hired farmworkers, annual averages, demographic characteristics,

hours worked, median weekly hours.

Washington, D.C. 20005-4788 Febmary 1997
Contents

Summary üi

Definitions iv

Introduction 1

Structural and Regional Patterns of Farm Labor Use 3

Structural Patterns of Labor Expenditures 3

Regional Patterns of Labor Expenditures 5

Demographic Characteristics of the 1994 Hired Farmworkers 6

Gender, Age, and Marital Status 6

Racial/Ethnic Group 7

Citizenship Status 7

Education Completed 8

Secondary Job Holders 9

Part- and Full-Time Workers 9

Geographic Distribution of Hired Farmworkers 11

Distribution of Hired Farmworkers by Establishment 11

Earnings Characteristics of Hired Farmworkers in 1994 13

References 16

Appendix Table 1. Demographic and Earnings Characteristics

Of Hired Farmworkers, 1990-1994 17

Appendix Table 2. Demographic and Earnings Characteristics

Of All Wage and Salary Workers, 1990-1994 18

ii Profile of Hired Farmworkers. 1994 Annua 'erages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
Summary

Hired farmworkers continue to earn less than all wage and salary workers, but the

wage gap has narrowed. Hired farmworkers' median weekly earnings in 1994

were $238, an increase of 19 percent (5 percent when adjusted for inflation) from

1990; median weekly earnings for all wage and salary workers increased by 11

percent (a 2-percent decrease in real terms).

Hired farmworkers were more likely than all U.S. wage and salary workers to be

male, Hispanic, younger, less educated, never married, and non-U.S. citizens.

Thirty-six percent of hired farmworkers had less than a ninth-grade education,

compared with less than 4 percent of all wage and salary workers.

An average of 779,000 persons (15 and older) did hired farmwork each week as

their primary job in 1994. Though this represents less than 1 percent of U.S.

wage and salary workers, hired farmworkers account for about 30 percent of

farmworkers (farm operators and unpaid workers account for the rest). An additional 66,000 persons did hired farmwork as their secondary job during the week.

This report examines regional and structural patterns of farm labor use, and

demographic and employment characteristics of hired farmworkers, using data

from the 1992 Census ofAgriculture and the 1994 Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file. Additional findings of this report include:

* Almost all (98 percent) who reported farmwork as their secondary

job worked in other agricultural establishments (agricultural services,

forestry, fishing, landscape/horticultural services, etc.) and over half

(54 percent) lived in the Midwest.

* More than 19 percent of the hired farm work force was employed

part time (worked less than 35 hours per week) in 1994. These p£uttime workers were more likely to be female, white, younger, and never

married, compared with full-time farmworkers.

* The South and West accounted for 75 percent of the hired farmworkers in 1994. The Northeast contained the fewest (about 6 percent).

* The hired farm work force in the Midwest had more white and fewer

Hispanic workers, the West had more Hispanic workers and fewer white,

and the South had more black and other workers than other regions.

* In the West, more of the hired farm work force was employed in

crop production and less in livestock production than in other regions.

In the Midwest, more of the hired farm work force was employed in

livestock production and less in crop production than in other regions.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 iii
Definitions

Employed persons: Persons 15 years of age and older who, during the survey

week, 1) did any work as paid employees; 2) worked 15 hours or more as unpaid

workers in a family enterprise; or 3) were not working but had jobs or businesses

from which they were temporarily absent because of illness, bad weather, vacation,

labor-management disputes, or personal reasons, whether they were paid for the

time off or were seeking other jobs.

Hiredfarmworkers: Employed persons who, during the survey week, did farmwork for cash wages or salary, or did not work but had farm jobs from which they

were temporarily absent. Hired farmworkers include persons who manage farms

for employers on a paid basis, supervisors of farmworkers, and farm and nursery

workers.

Annual average number ofhiredfarmworkers: The average number of hired

farmworkers employed per week during 1992.

Racial/ethnic group: Refers to division of the population into three mutually

exclusive groups—white, Hispanic, and black and other. "Hispanic" includes all

persons who identified themselves in the enumeration process as Mexican,

Mexicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or of other Hispanic

origin or descent. "White" refers to white persons other than those of Hispanic origin. "Black and other" includes African-Americans and other groups such as

Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and others not of Hispanic origin.

Education: Refers to the highest level of school completed or the highest

degree received.

Full-time workers: Persons who usually work 35 hours or more per week. Persons

working less than 35 hours per week are considered part time.

Median weekly earnings: The value that divides the earnings distribution into two

equal parts, one part having earnings above the median and the other part having

earnings below the median. "Earnings" refers to the weekly earnings the farmworker usually earns at a farm job, before deductions, and includes overtime pay

or commissions.

Industry: Hired farmworkers were classified according to the industry of the

establishment where they worked.

Crop production—Establishments primarily engaged in producing

crops, plants, vines, and trees (excluding forestry operations).

Livestock production—Establishments primarily engaged in the

keeping, grazing, or feeding of livestock.

Other agricultural establishments—Establishments primarily engaged

in agricultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape

and horticultural services, and other agricultural related establishments.

iv Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Researcli Service/USDA
Family income: Combined income of all family members during the

last 12 months. Includes money from jobs; net income from businesses, farms or rents; pensions, dividends, interest, social security payments, and any other money income received by family members who

are 15 years of age and older.

Expendituresfor labor: Expenditures for farm labor were divided into two groups

for the Census ofAgriculture.

Hiredfarm and ranch labor—^Includes gross salaries and wages; commissions; dismissal pay; vacation pay; and bonuses to hired workers,

family members, hired managers, administrative, clerical employees,

and salaried corporate officers. Also includes supplemental cost for

benefits such as employer's social security contributions, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation insurance, life and medical

insurance, pension plans, etc.

Contract labor—^Includes the labor costs of workers furnished on a

contract basis by a labor contractor, crew leader, or cooperative for

harvesting vegetables or fruit, shearing sheep, or similar farm

activities. Does not include costs for building or repairs done by a

construction contractor.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Htred Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 v
Profile of Hired Farmworl(ers,

1994 Annual Averages

Jack L. Runyan

Introduction

Hired farmworkers, a small part of U.S. wage and

salary workers (less than 1 percent in 1994), are an

important part of agricultural production, accounting

for about 30 percent of farmworkers. Farm operators

and unpaid workers are the other 70 percent (Farm

Labor, U.S. Department of Labor, 1994).^ Hired farmworkers help provide labor during critical production

periods. Some hired farmworkers migrate from one

production area to another during several months of the

year, others work locally during harvesting season, and

some work full time for a local employer. Although

quite important to agriculture, hired farmworkers continue to be one of the most economically disadvantaged

groups in the United States, experiencing low wages,

seasonal employment, weak attachment to the labor

force, and limited nonfaim employment opportunities

(Oliveira, 1992, and U.S.Department of Labor, 1991).

During the 1990's, the U^S. House of Representatives

has held several hearings on a broad range of concerns

related to the living and working conditions of hired

farmworkers. Testimony presented at the hearings cited

the need for accurate, comprehensive data on farmworkers to assess their socioeconomic status and to

determine how best to improve their situation (Deifico,

1991). Congress has considered major legislative

reform of the living and working conditions, including

proposals related to immigration, temporary foreign

worker programs in agriculture, and an increase in the

minimum wage (legislation was enacted to raise the

minimum wage to $5.15 over 2 years). Basic information on the patterns of farm labor use and the demographic and employment characteristics of hired farmworkers help inform the policy debate about the effects

of changing legislation. Currently, no one comprehensive data set provides the necessary details to help us

understand issues related to changes in the supply,

demand, wages, earnings, benefits, and characteristics

of farmworkers at both the local and national level. In

this paper, two data sets are examined to provide a

broader perspective.

The Data

This report uses data from the Census ofAgriculture

and the Current Population Survey (CPS) earnings

microdata file (see box) to examine patterns of hired

farm labor use, and demographic, earnings, and geographic characteristics of hired farmworkers.

The Census ofAgriculture is conducted by the Bureau

of the Census every 5 years, for years ending in 2 and

7. Census reporting forms were mailed to approximately 3,554,000 individuals, businesses, and organizations

in 1992. The CPS information is based on 12 months of

data, with each month representing the number of persons who did hired farmwork during a 1-week period.

Annual averages were computed by summing the estimates across all months and dividing by 12. The annual

average represents the average number of people

employed at hired farmwork per week, not the total

number of persons employed.^

The CPS was redesigned in 1994, affecting "virtually

every aspect of the survey, including the questionnaire,

data collection methods, and the processing system"

{Monthly Labor Review, 1993). As a result, data for

1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993

and earlier years. A detailed description of the reasons

for redesigning the CPS and the potential changes and

benefits are presented in Bregger and Dippo, 1993,

Polivka and Rothgeb, 1993, and Bowie, Cahoon, and

Martin, 1993.

^In times of peak labor use (July), hired workers account for

about 33 percent of farm workers, and in off-peak times they

account for about 28 percent (Farm Labor).

^For example, if each month a different worker works on a farm,

the total number of workers who worked on that farm during the

year is 12, while the average number of workers employed during

the year is 1.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 1
About the Data

Data from two sources were used for this analysis. One is the Census ofAgriculture, an establishment survey, and the

other is the Current Population Survey, a household survey.

Census of Agriculture

The Census ofAgriculture, conducted by the Bureau of the Census, is the leading source of statistics about the Nation's

agricultural production and is the most comprehensive source of agricultural data available at the county level. It offers

the most complete geographic coverage of hired and contract farm labor use as measured by labor expenditures.

Expenditure data can be used to show the magnitude of labor use and to estimate the share of production expenses attributed to labor, by size of farm.

The Census ofAgriculture is a mail survey of U.S. farms and ranches. The mailing list for the 1992 Census generated 1.7

million useable questionnaires. After adjusting for nonrespondents, survey data were expanded to the estimated 1.9 million farms in the U.S. To reduce respondent burden, some questions were asked of a sample of farms. Data on hired and

contract labor expenditures were collected from a sample of about 486,000 farm operators in 1992.

Limitations: The Census data on hired workers refer to all hired persons on the farm, including bookkeepers, secretaries,

and mechanics who are not generally considered to be hired farmworkers. Expenditure data do not include payment inkind, such as meals and lodging. All expenditures for labor involved in custom work m^e combined with expenses for

machine hire. The Census does not collect information on the demographic and job characteristics of hired and contract

workers. Since the Census data are collected once every 5 years, they may not reflect the most recent changes in the farm

labor situation.

Current Population Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the Bureau of the Census, collects information on the demographic,

social, and economic characteristics of the employed, unemployed, and persons not in the labor force. It is the primary

source of monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment in the United States. The CPS is based on a probability sample of households, designed to represent the U.S. civilian, noninstitutional population. (Participation in the survey is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not answering questions.)

Each month, about 60,000 households are sampled in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Once a household is

selected, it is interviewed for 4 consecutive months, dropped from the survey for 8 months, then interviewed for a final 4

months. Approximately one-quarter of the sample is changed monthly. This survey design provides for about three-quarters of the selected households to be interviewed the following month, and about one-half to be interviewed the next year.

In this way, the Census Bureau can obtain month-to-month and year-to-year comparisons with minimal inconvenience to

any one household. During each monthly visit, trained enumerators complete a questionnaire for each household member

age 15 and older. Questions are asked of the household member's labor force activity during the survey week, that is, the

week containing the 12th day of the month. Information obtained from this sample of households is expanded to provide

national-level estimates.

CPS earnings microdata file: Each month, workers in about one-quarter of the CPS households (those in either their

fourth or eighth month in the sample) are asked additional questions on weekly hours worked and earnings. The 1994

CPS earnings microdata file used in this report consists of all records from the monthly quarter-samples of CPS households that were subject to having these questions asked about the hours worked and earnings made during 1994. The data

file contained information on almost 463,000 persons, including over 1,200 who were employed as hired farmworkers.

Data comparisons in the text are based on data significant at the 95-percent confidence level or higher.

Limitations: The CPS classifies employed persons according to the job at which they worked the greatest number of

hours during the survey week. As a result, hired farmworkers who spent more time during the survey week at their nonfarm job than their farm job would not be included in the count of hired farmworkers. These workers would be counted

in 1994 as having hired farmwork as their secondary employment.

The CPS may also undercount Hispanics in the hired farm work force. Because the CPS is based on a survey of households, it may undercount farmworkers living in unconventional living quarters, many of whom are likely to be Hispanic.

In addition, undocumented foreign farmworkers may, because of their illegal status, avoid survey enumerators.

2 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
structural and Regional Patterns of

Farm Labor Use

Expenditures for hired and contract workers are often

used as indicators of farm labor use. In 1992, about

933,000 farms (48 percent) had expenditures for hired

and contract labor amounting to about $15.3 bilHon, or

about 12 percent of total farm production expenditures

(fig. 1). The proportion of total expenditures for hired

Figure 1

U.S. farm production expenses, 1992

other 25.2%,

Interest 6.2%

Livestock purchased

17.6%

Feed purchased

18.4%

Labor 11.7%

Energy 6.6%

Fertilizer & chemicals 11.0%

Seeds 3.2%

Total production expenses = $130.8 bifiion

Source: Economic Research Service, compiled from the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

and contract labor in 1992 ranged from a low of 4

percent for livestock farms (beef cattle, hog, and

sheep) to a high of 45 percent for horticultural specialty

farms (fig. 2).

Structural Patterns of Labor Expenditures

Structural patterns of farm labor are based on the market value of agricultural products sold (value of sales),

size of farm (acreage), and type of farm (cash grain,

livestock, etc.). Employment of hired and contract

workers was concentrated on larger farms. Farms with

sales of $250,000 and over had the largest amount of

hired and contract labor expenditures in 1992 (almost

78 percent) as shown in fig. 3, but they accounted for

about 15 percent of farms with hired and contract labor

expenditures. As shown in figs. 4 and 5, farms with a

large value of sales also had higher per-farm hired ^id

contract labor expenditures. Farms with 500 or more

acres accounted for only about 1 percent of those with

hired and contract labor expenditures but accounted for

the largest amount of the expenditures (about 58 percent) (fig. 6). These large farms also had higher average

hired and contract labor expenditures (figs. 7 and

8).Vegetable and melon, fruit and tree nut, and horticultural specialty farms accounted for about 13 percent of

the farms with hired and contract labor expenditures

Figure 2

Labor's share of farm production expenses, 1992 1/

All farms Cash grains Tobacco Vegetable Fruit and

and melon tree nut

Horticultural

specialty

Other Beef, hog, Dairy Poultry Other

crop and sheep and egg livestock

1/ Hired labor expenditure data for cotton and general famis, primarily livestock, were not published in the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 3
Figure 3

Figure 6

Hired and contract labor expenditures by value of

agricultural sales per farm, 1992

Billion dollars

10

Over $250,000 to $100,000 to $40,000 to $20,000 to Less than

$500,(X)0 $499,999 $249,999 $99,999 $39,999 $20,000

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the

1992 Census of Agriculture.

Hired and contract labor expenditures by size

of farm,1992

Billion dollars

8

I I Contract iabor expenditures

H Hired labor expenditures

1,000

B

500 to 999 220

B

to 499 100 to 219 Less

M

than

and over 100

Acres

Source: Prepared by Economic Research Service from data compiled in the 1992

Census of Agriculture.

Rgure 4

Hired labor expenditures per farnt i^ value

of sales, 1992

Figure 7

Thousand dollars

200 I ^^

160 -^H

120 -^^Ê

80 -^^^H

40 v^H ^^

0 I—^

Over $250,000

^

to $100,000

^—

to $40,000 to $20,000 to Less than

$500,000 $499,999 $249,999 $99,999 $39,999 $20,000

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the

1992 Census of Agriculture.

Figure 5

Contract labor expenditures per farm by value

of sales, 1992

Thousand dollars

100

Over $250,000 to $100,000 to $40,000 to $20,000 to Less than

$500,000 $499,999 $249,999 $99,999 $39,999 $20,000

Value of sales

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the

1992 Census of Agriculture.

Hired labor expenditures per farm by size of

farm, 1992

Thousand dollars

50

1,000 500 to 999 220 to 499 100 to 219 Less than

and over 100

Acres

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the 1992

Census Agriculture.

Figure 8

Contract labor expenditures per farm by size of

farm, 1992

Thousand dollars

30

1,000 500 to 999 220 to 499 100 to 219 Less than

and over 100

Acres

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the 1992

Census of Agriculture.

4 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
but accounted for the largest part (about 47 percent) of i^'gureQ

those expenditures in 1992 (fig. 9). These same types

of farms also had higher per farm hired and contract

labor expenditures (figs. 10 and 11).

Regional Patterns of Labor Expenditures

Hired and contract labor expenditures were reported in

all States in 1992. They ranged from about $4 million

in Alaska to about $4 billion in Cahfomia (fig. 12).

California, Florida, and Texas accounted for about 38

percent of all farm labor expenditures in 1992, even

though they accounted for only 19 percent of the farms

with these expenditures.

In 1992, about 48 percent of all U.S. farms reported

hired and contract labor expenditures. California had

Figure 10

Hired labor expenditures perfarm by type of farm, 19921/

Thousand dollars

120

Hired and contract labor expenditures by type

of farm, 1992

Billion dollars

8

I I Contract labor expenditures

Bl Hired labor expenditures

Vegetables,

melon, fruit,

tree nuts,

horticultural

specialty

Cash

grains

Field Livestock Dairy

crops 1/

General Poultry

farm & & eggs

animal

specialty 2/

1/ Hired tabor expenditure for cotton not published in 1992 Census of Agriculture.

21 Hired labor expenditure data for genera) famns, primarily livestock, not publislied In

1992 Census of Agriculture.

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Sen/ice from data compiled in the 1992

Census of Agriculture.

90

60

30

All farms Cash grains Tobacco Vegetable Fruit and Horticul- Other Beef, hog, Dairy

and melon tree nut tural crops and sheep

specialty

1/ Hired labor expenditure data for cotton and general farms, primarily livestock, were not published in the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Sen/ice from data compiled in the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

Figure 11

Contract labor expenditures per farm by type of farm, 1992

Poultry

and egg

Other

livestock

Thousand dollars

uu

60

80 -

- K

40 - S^E

20 - B ^s

0 ^p ^^^ ^^^ ^&^ ,«M-r<rr,ywnm ü^^

All farms Cash grains Cotton Tobacco Vegetable Fruit and Horticul- Other Beef, hog. Dairy Poultry Other

and melon tree nut tural crops and sheep and egg livestock

specialty

Source: Prepared by the Economic Research Service from data compiled in the 1992 Census of Agriculture.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 5
Figure 12

Hired and contract labor expenses on farms, 1992

California, Florida, and Texas accounted for 38 percent of farm labor expenditures

Source: Catcutetod by ERS using data from the 1992 Census or Agricunure.

Less than $1 million

$1-$9.9 million

$10-$19-9 million

$20 million or more

the greatest share of farms reporting labor expenditures

(83 percent) and Ohio the lowest (36 percent).

Demographic Characteristics of the

1994 Hired Farmworkers

An average of slightly less than 108 million persons age

15 and older were employed per week at wage and

salary jobs in the United States in 1994 (table 1). Of

these, 779,000 persons (less than 1 percent) identified

hired farmwork as their primary employment, that is,

farmwork for cash wages or salary. Hired farmworkers

include persons paid to manage farms for employers,

supervisors of farmworkers, and farm and nursery

workers. This group also includes those hired directly

by the farmer, as well as those employed by farm

labor contractors.

Hired farmworkers tend to be younger and less educated than all wage and salary workers and are more likely

to be male, Hispanic, and never married. Demographic

information on hired farmworkers from 1990 to 1994 is

presented in appendix table I and for all wage and

salary workers in appendix table 2.

Gender, Age, and Marital Status

Males accounted for about 84 percent of hired farmworkers and about 52 percent of all wage and salary

workers in 1994 (table 1). These percentages have

remained constant in recent years.

Hired farmworkers were younger than all wage and

salary workers in 1994, as they have been throughout

the 1990's. More than half (55 percent) of the hired

farmworkers were under 35 years of age and about 27

percent were less than 25 years of age. In comparison,

44 percent of all wage and salary workers were under 35

years of age and 17 percent were under 25 years of age.

6 Profile of Hired Farmworl<ers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
Table 1—Demographic characteristics of hired farmworkers and all wage and salary workers, 1994

Characteristics

Annual averages

Hired farmworkers All wage and salary workers

Total

Gender:

Male

Female

Racial/ethnic group:

White

Hispanic

Black and other

Age (years):

Less than 20

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55 and older

Median age

Marital status:

Married

Widowed, divorced,

or separated

Never married

Schooling completed:^

0-4 years

5-8 years

9-11 years

12 years

13 years or more

Thousands Percei

779 100

653 83.8

126 16.2

394 50.5

326 41.9

59 7.6

84 10.7

125 16.1

223 28.5

164 21.1

105 13.5

78 10.1

32

464 59.5

69 8.9

246 31.6

106 13.5

175 22.5

173 22.2

202 26.0

123 15.8

Thousands Percen

107,824 100

56,465 52.4

51,359 47.6

82,240 76.3

10,014 9.3

15,570 14.4

5,874 5.4

12.309 11.4

29,575 27.4

29,108 27.0

19.642 18.3

11,316 10.5

36

62,663 58.1

15.587 14.5

29.574 27.4

848 0.8

3.024 2.8

10,193 9.5

35,959 33.3

57,800 53.6

''Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes in survey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

More than half of both hired farmworkers and all wage

and salary workers are married. However, more hired

farmworkers (32 percent) than all wage and salary workers (27 percent) have never been married. These percentages have remained fairly constant throughout the 1990's.

Racial/Ethnic Group

A notable feature of the hired farm work force is the

large number of Hispanic workers. The hired farm

work force in 1994 was about 51 percent white, 42 percent Hispanic, and 8 percent black and other (table 1).

The U.S. wage and salary work force, in comparison,

was about 76 percent white, 9 percent Hispanic, and 14

percent black and other.

Concern over the undercounting of Hispanics in past

years was part of the justification for the 1994 CPS

redesign. The results of the effort to correct this undercounting problem may at least partially explain the

significant change in the number of white, Hispanic,

and black-and-other hired farmworkers between 1992

and 1994. In 1992 the CPS reported that the hired farm

work force was made up of 506,000 white workers

(about 60 percent of the hired farm work force),

260,000 Hispanic workers (about 31 percent), and

82,000 black and other workers (about 10 percent). The

percentages shown for 1992 are fairly consistent with

those for the years immediately preceding 1994.

Increasing the number of Hispanics in the sample

should also have increased the number of hired farmworkers, but this did not happen in 1994.

Citizenship Status

About 63 percent of hired farmworkers were bom in

the United States and 34 percent were foreign-bom and

not U.S. citizens. In comparison, 89 percent of all wage

and salary workers were native-bom in the United

States and 7 percent were foreign-born and not U.S.

citizens (table 2). Most of the hired farmworkers who

were foreign-bom non-U.S. citizens were Hispanic

(table 3). Among all wage and salary workers, there

were significantly more Hispanic and black and other

workers in the noncitizen group than in the total group.

Most noncitizen hired farmworkers were employed in

crop production (70.3 percent). Employment in liveEconomic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 7
Table 2—Citizenship status of hired farmworkers and all

wage and salary workers, 1994

Annual averages

Citizenship status

Hired

farmworkers

Ail wage and

salary workers

Thousands

Total 779 107.824

Percent

Total 100 100

Native, born in the

United States 62.6 88.9

Native, born in Puerto

Rico or U.S. outlying area 0.1 0.4

Native, born abroad of

American parent(s) 0.6 1.0

Foreign born, U.S.

citizen by naturalization 2.6 2.6

Foreign born, not

a U.S. citizen 34.1 7.1

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

Table 3—Gender, race, age, and education characteristics of foreign-born workers who were not

citizens of the United States, 1994

Characteristics

Hired

farmworkers

Annual averages

AH wage and

salary workers

Thousands

Total

Total

266

Percent

100

7,630

100

Stock production accounted for 21.4 percent and those

in other agriculture accounted for 8.3 percent of noncitizen hired farmworkers.^

Education Completed

More than half of the hired farmworkers had not completed a formal secondary education in 1994. Over 58

percent of hired farmworkers had not completed high

school, compared with 13 percent of all wage and

salary workers. A stronger indication of the educational

discrepancy between the two groups is that 36 percent

of hired farmworkers have less than a ninth-grade education, compared with less than 4 percent of all wage

and salary workers. Over 58 percent of hired farmworkers, compared with 13 percent of all wage and

salary workers, lack the literacy skills required to function successfully in a complex technological society

(U.S. Department of Labor, 1991).

Years of schooling completed by hired farmworkers

varied significantly by racial/ethnic group (table 4).

Almost 85 percent of Hispanic hired farmworkers had

less than 12 years of formal education, almost 30 percent had less than 5 years, and about 38 percent had 5

to 8 years. Almost 61 percent of black-and-other hired

farmworkers had less than 12 years of education, 8 percent had less than 5 years, and about 11 percent had 5

to 8 years of education. About 36 percent of white

workers had less than 12 years of education.

Table 4—Years of education completed by hired

farmworkers, by racial/ethnic group, 1994^

Gender:

Male 86.0

14.0

62.0

38.0 Years of

schooling

completed

Annual averages

Female

Race/ethnic: White Hispanic

Black

and other

White

Hispanic

Black and other

3.3

95.9

0.8

18.8

55.9

25.3 Total 394

Thousands

326

Percent

59

Age (years):

Less than 20

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55 and older

5.2

18.5

35.2

20.2

14.5

6.4

4.0

13.9

35.0

26.6

13.5

7.0

Total

0-4

5-8

9-11

12

13 or more

100.0

1.1

11.1

23.5

37.3

27.0

100.0

29.7

38.3

16.9

11.9

3.2

100.0

8.3

10.6

41.8

27.8

11.5

Schooling completed:^

^ Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to

reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

0-4 years

5-8years

33.0

41.3

7.8

17.7

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier

years because of changes in survey design.

9-11 years

12 years

13.0

8.8

13.7

25.5

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

13vearsand more 3.9 36.3

1 Education attainment levels, beaiinninq January 1992, were revised to

reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

^Other agricultural establishments include, in addition to agricultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape and

horticultural services, and other agricultural related establishments.

8 Profile of Hired Farnnworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Econonnic Research Servtce/USDA
Almost one-third of the noncitizen hired farmworkers

had completed less than 5 years of education, and over

77 percent had completed less than 12 years, significantly greater than for all hired farmworkers and for all

noncitizen wage and salary workers. Noncitizens

among wage and salary workers also had significantly

fewer years of education completed than the average

for all wage and salary workers.

Secondary Job Holders

For the first time in 1994, the CPS began collecting

information on secondary job holders, that is, workers

who held more than one job during the reference week.

The job at which the worker spent the most hours was

the primary occupation and the job with the next greatest number of hours was secondary. These data, combined with that for primary hired farmwork job holders,

should provide more accurate data about the hired farm

work force in the future.

About 66,000 people had secondary jobs as hired farmworkers in 1994 (table 5)."^ These workers were more

likely than all hired farmworkers to be female, white,

and better educated (similar to all wage and salary

workers). Most of these workers (98 percent) were

employed in other agricultural establishments, and 2

percent were employed in crop production. About 54

percent of the secondary job holders Uved in the

Midwest, followed by about 18 percent in the South

and West, and 10 percent in the Northeast. Almost all

(97 percent) were native, born in the United States.

Part- and FuI l-Time Workers

About 20 percent (151,000) of hired farmworkers and

about 19 percent (20,442,000) of all wage and salary

workers worked part time (less than 35 hours per week)

in 1994 (table 6).^ Part-time hired farmworkers were

more likely than full-time hired farmworkers to be

female, white, younger, and never married. A significantly larger percent of part-time than full-time hired

farmworkers had completed 9 to 11 years of education.

Table 5—Demographic characteristics of persons

reporting their secondary job as hired

farmworl<ers, 1994^

"^Employed people who had either two or more jobs as a wage and

salary worker, were self employed and also held a wage and salary

job, or worked as an unpaid family worker and also held a wage and

salary job and reported hired farmwork as their secondary job.

^Part-time and full-time distinctions do not imply seasonality,

since the data do not measure the number of weeks worked during

the year.

Characteristics Annual averages

Thousands Percent

Total 66 100

Gender:

Male 43 65

Female 23 35

Race/ethnic:

White 61 93

Hispanic

Black and other

4

1

5

2

Age (years):

Less than 20 6 10

20-24 13 20

25-34 11 16

35-44 18 28

45-54 11 16

55 and older 7 10

Median age 35

Schooling completed:^

0-4 years

5-8 years

9-11 years

12 years

13 years and more

0

2

7

20

37

0

2

10

31

57

^Employed people who had either two or more jobs as a wage and salary

worker, were self-employed and also held a wage and salary job, or worked as

an unpaid family worker and also held a wage and salary job and reported

hired farmwork as their secondary job.

^Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to

reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

Otherwise, the education completed by the two groups

of hired farmworkers was similar.

Part-time workers were asked whether or not they

worked part time voluntarily. These choices were classified as noneconomic reasons if they voluntarily

worked part time, and as economic reasons if they

involuntarily worked part time.^

The largest percentage of both groups gave the same

noneconomic reason (other family/personal obligations)

for working part time. However, a significantly greater

percent of hired farmworkers than all wage and salary

workers gave school/training as the reason they wanted

to work part time (table 7).

The majority of both groups of part-time workers gave

the same economic reasons for working part time,

"slack work/business conditions" and "could only find

part-time work" (table 8). However, a significantly

^Persons who usually work part-time must also indicate that they

want and are available to work full-time to be classified as parttime for economic reasons.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 < 9
Table 6—Demographic characteristics of patl-time (work less than 35 hours per week) and full-time hired farmworkers

and all wage and salary workers, 1994

Annual averages

Hired farmworkers All wage and salary workers

Characteristics Part time Full time Part time Full time

Thousands Percent Thousands Percent Thousands Percent Thousands Percent

Total 151 100 628 100 20,442 100 87,382 100

Gender:

Male 101 86.9 552 87.9 6,471 31.7 49,994 57.2

Female 51 33.1 76 12.1 13,971 68.3 37,388 42.8

Racial/ethnic group:

White 95 62.8 299 47.6 16.079 78.6 66,161 75.7

Hispanic 45 30.0 281 44.7 1,735 8.5 8,279 9.5

Black and other 11 7.2 48 7.7 2,628 12.9 12,942 14.8

Age (years):

Less than 20 46 30.2 38 6.0 4.165 20.4 1,709 2.0

20-24 29 19,3 96 15.3 3,563 17.4 8,746 10.0

25-34 30 19.7 193 30.7 3,866 18.9 25,709 29.4

35-44 18 11,9 146 23.3 3,668 18.0 25,440 29.1

45-54 10 6.5 95 15.2 2,234 10.9 17,408 19.9

55 and older 18 12.4 60 9.5 2,946 14.4 8,370 9.6

Median age 25 34 31 37

Marital status:

Married 56 37.0 407 64.8 9,225 45.1 53.438 61.2

Widowed, divorced,

or separated 11 7.3 58 9.2 2,369 11.6 13,218 15.1

Never married 84 55.7 163 26.0 8.848 43.3 20,726 23.7

SchooHng completed:""

0-4 years 20 13.4 86 13.6 212 1.0 636 0.7

5-8 years 30 19.8 145 23.1 581 2.8 2,443 2.8

9-11 years 51 33.6 122 19.4 3,900 19.1 6,293 7.2

12 years 32 21.0 170 27.1 5,967 29.2 29,992 34.3

13 years or more 18 12.2 105 16.8 9.782 47.9 48,018 55.0

^Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Table 7—Reasons why workers want to work part time,

1994

Table 8—Reasons why workers who want to work full

time are working part time, 1994

Reasons

Hired

farmworkers

Annual averages

All wage and

salary workers Reasons

Hired

farmworkers

Annual averages

All wage and

salary workers

Total workers 69

Child care problems 2.7

Other family/personal

obligations 20.0

Health/medicai

limitations 4.9

School/training 60.2

Retired/Social Security

limit on earnings 8.2

Full-time work week

less than 35 hours 2.3

Other 1.7

Thousands

Percent

12,797

4.3

28.9

3.5

42.4

9.8

3.5

M

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

Total workers 65

Slack work/Zbusiness

conditions 38.7

Could only find

part-time work 40.5

Seasonal work 10.7

Child care problems 2.0

Other family/

personal obligations 2.7

Health/medical limitations 1.6

School/iraining 1.0

Retired/Social Security

limit on earnings 1.0

Full-time work week

less than 35 hours 0.6

Other 1.2

Thousands

Percent

4,675

26.0

42.0

1.2

2.3

5.7

1.9

9.6

0.3

3.7

7.3

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

10 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annuaí Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
greater percentage of hired farmworkers (10.7 compared

with 1.2 percent) gave "seasonal work" as the reason for

working part time when they preferred full-time work.

Geographic Distribution of Hired

Farmworlcers

Demand for workers varies by the type of crop and

livestock activity, length of growing and harvesting seasons, extent of mechanization, and scale of production.

As a result, the number of hired farmworkers continued

to vary significantly among the census regions in 1994

(table 9). The South had 310,000 hired farmworkers,

almost 40 percent of the U.S. total in 1994. The South

and West regions accounted for 75 percent of hired

farmworkers in 1994. The Northeast contained the

smallest number of workers (46,000, about 6 percent).

The number of farmworkers in the Midwest census

region in 1994 was significantly less than in 1990,

1991, and 1992. In the other census regions, the

changes were not significant.

The demographic characteristics of hired farmworkers,

except gender, vary among the census regions (data for

the Northeast region are not included in the comparison

because of sample size)(table 10). The hired farm work

force in the Midwest region had more white and fewer

Hispanic workers, the West had more Hispanic workers

and fewer white, and the South had more black and

other workers than other regions (table 10). The Midwest

hired farm work force was younger than the West hired

farm work force. The hired farm work force in the

Midwest also had completed more years of education

than the hired farm work force in the West (table 10).

In the West, more of the hired farm work force was

employed in crop production and less in livestock

production than in other regions. In the Midwest,

more of the hired farm work force was employed in

livestock production and less in crop production than

in other regions.

Distribution of IHired Farmworlcers

by Establishment

More than 50 percent of hired farmworkers were

employed in crop production in 1994, more than 39

percent in livestock production, and more than 8 percent in other agricultural establishments (table 11)7

Throughout the 1990's, the portion of the hired farm

work force employed in crop, livestock, and other

establishments has remained about 50, 40, and 8 percent, respectively (table 11).

There were also differences in the demographic characteristics of workers among establishment types (table

12). Males accounted for a smaller percentage of the

work force in "other" agricultural establishments than

in either crop or livestock production establishments. A

greater pe rcentage of livestock workers and a smaller

percentage of crop workers were white. Hispanic workers made up a greater percentage of crop workers and a

smaller percent of livestock workers. The only significant differences in the age groupings were between livestock workers and other agricultural workers in "less

than 20" and "45-54" groups (more livestock workers

were in the younger group and fewer in the older group.

Fewer livestock workers than crop or other agricultural

workers had 0-4 years of education and more had 9-11

years of education. The share of crop workers with 5-8

^Other establishments include, in addition to agricultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape and horticultural services, and other agricultural related establishments.

Table 9—Number of hired farmworkers by region, 1990 to 1994

Region 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

Thousands

Annual averages

Percent

Total 886 884 848 803 779 100 100 100 100 100

Northeast 62 54 52 49 46 6.9 6.1 6.1 6.1 5.9

South 315 328 320 301 310 35.6 37.1 37.8 37.5 39.8

Midwest 214 206 201 172 140 24.1 23.3 23.7 21.4 18.0

West 295 296 275 281 283 33.4 33.5 32.4 35.0 36.3

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes to survey design.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 <* 11
Table 10—Demographic and earnings cliaracteristics of hired farmworkeis by census region, 1994

Characteristics Northeast Soutti Midwest West

Annual averages

Total 46 310

Thousands

140 283

Percent

Gender:

Male

Female

Racial/ethnic group:

White

Hispanic

Black and other

Age (years):

Less than 20

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55 and older

Median age

Schooling completed^:

0-4 years

5-8 years

9-11 years

12 years

13 years or more

Establishment:

Crop production

Livestock production

Other establishments^

Weekly earnings:

Less than $100

$10Û-$199

$200-$299

$300-$399

$400-$499

$500-$599

$600 and over

Median weekly earnings

86.2

13.8

46.8

37.8

15.4

10.6

18.4

25.5

21.5

14.2

9.8

32

11.4

25.3

27.5

21.0

14.8

54.1

38.9

7.0

9.6

31.9

37.0

12.7

5.6

2.1

1.1

$210

82.1 85.0

17.9 15.0

96.1 24.8

2.6 71.9

1.3 3.3

19.0 5.5

17.1 11.5

24.3 35.0

16.7 23.3

9.0 16.2

13.9 8.5

30 34

2.6 23.6

8.3 28.6

20.9 17.3

45.2 18.2

23.0 12.3

27.6 65.4

65.4 23.8

7.0 10.8

18.0 4.8

21.4 17.4

26.6 37.0

19.1 25.8

7.2 9.2

6.2 2.2

1.5 3.6

$240 $265

^Percentages not shown where base is less than 50,000,

^Educational attainment levéis, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

^ Other establishments include, in addition to agrtcultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape and horticultural services, and other agricultural

related establishments.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and eariier years because'of changes in sun^ey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Table 11-—Number of hired farmworkers by establishment type, 1990 to 1994

Establishment 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

Total 886 884

Thousands

848 803

Annual

779

averages

100 100

Percent

100 100 100

Crop production 419 449 409 436 405 47.3 50.7 48.2 54.3 52.0

Livestock

production 390 363 364 313 307 44.0 41.0 42.9 39.0 39.4

Other establishments^ 77 72 75 54 67 8.7 8.2 8.9 6.7 8.6

^Other establishments include» in addition to agricultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape arKl horticultural services, and other agricultural

related establishments.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes to survey design.

12 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Servlce/USDA
Table 12—Demographic and earnings characteristics of hired farmworkers by establishment, 1994

Annual averages

Characteristics Crop prcxiuction Livestock production

Thousands

405 307

Percent

84.8 85.7

15.2 14.3

32.3 74.3

59.2 19.7

8.5 6.0

9.7 13.6

16.2 15.1

25.9 32.2

22.3 20.4

15.9 8.9

10.0 9.8

34 31

18.8 5.7

28.7 16.1

19.9 26.4

22.0 31.4

10.6 20.4

5.7 6.3

38.0 37.0

15.4 33.8

40.9 22.9

7.7 13.5

25.1 21.5

36.4 32.3

18.7 19.8

7.3 7.9

2.7 2.6

2.1 2.4

$231 $240

Other establishments"'

Total

Gender:

Male^

Female

Racial/ethnic group:

White

Hispanic

Black and other

Age (years):

Less than 20

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55 and older

Median age

Schooling completed^:

0-4 years

5-8 years

9-11 years

12 years

13 years or more

Census region:

Northeast

South

Midwest

West

Weekly earnings:

Less than $100

$100-$199

$200-$299

$300-$399

$400-$499

$500-$599

$600 and over

Median weekly earnings

67

68.5

31.5

51.6

38.8

9.6

3.9

19.7

27.7

17.0

19.9

11.8

32

18.1

13.8

16.2

24.2

27.7

10.8

23.5

21.1

44.6

8.2

30.8

32.0

14.8

5.6

5.0

3.6

$231

^ Other establishments include, in addition to agricultural services, forestry, fishing, hunting, trapping, landscape and horticultural services, and other agricultural

related establishments.

^Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for1993 and earlier years because of changes in survey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

years of education was greater than the share of livestock and "other" workers. The share of crop workers

with 13 or more years of education was greater than the

share of livestock and "other" workers in the other

types of establishments. Fewer crop workers than livestock workers had completed 12 years of education.

In the South, more workers were employed in crop production than in other agricultural establishments. In the

Midwest, more were employed in livestock production

than in crop and "other" agricultural establishments,

while in the West, fewer workers were employed in

livestock production than in either crop or "other"

establishment types.

Earnings Characteristics of Hired

Farmworkers in 1994

The median weekly earnings for hired farmworkers were

considerably lower than for all wage and salary workers.

Hired farmworkers received median weekly earnings of

$238, about 60 percent of the $400 per week received by

all wage and salary workers (table 13).^ The wage gap

appears to have narrowed since 1992 when hired farmworkers received median weekly earnings of 52 percent

^Data on earnings refer to the usual earnings received from the

worker's farmwork job, before deductions, and include any overtime pay or commissions.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 13
Table 13—Weekly earnings of hired farmworlcers and all

wage and salary workers, 1994

Annual averages

Hired AH wage and

Characteristics farmworkers saiary workers

Thousands

Total 779 107,824

Percent

Weekly earnings:

Less than $100 10.1 6.6

$100-$199 24.1 11.7

$200-$299 34.4 16.5

$300-$399 18.8 14.3

$400-$499 7.4 12.7

$500-$599 2.8 9.7

$600 and over 2.4 28.5

Median weekly earnings $238 $400

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey

earnings microdata file.

of what all wage and salary workers received (appendix

tables 1 and 2).

Between 1990 and 1994, the median weekly earnings

of hired farmworkers increased 19 percent, while the

median weekly earnings of all wage and salary workers

increased 11 percent. After adjusting for inflation, the

median weekly earnings of hired farmworkers increased

5 percent and the median weekly earnings of all wage

and salary workers decreased by 2 percent. Figure 13

shows that hired farmworkers continued to be ranked

near the bottom of 13 major occupational groups, with

only private household service workers earning less in

1994 for full-time work.

Li addition to differences m weekly earnings between

hired farmworkers and other workers, there were differences in weekly eamings between groups within the

hired farm work force (table 14). Hired farmworkers

who were male, white, older, and better educated worked

in livestock prcxiuction, and those who were in the West

had higher weekly eamings. The median hours worked

per week for all groups of workers shown in table 14

was 40, except for females (35 hours) and workers under

20 years of age (20 hours). The lower median weekly

hours for females and workers under 20 at least partially

explains their having lower median weekly eamings.

Eamings for most wage and salary workers are a major

part of family income. People who were primarily

employed as hired farmworkers had lower annual family incomes in 1994 than did all wage and salary workers (table 15).^ Half of the hired farmworkers had family incomes of less than $20,000. In comparison, only

20 percent of all wage and salary workers had family

incomes less than $20,000 and nearly 58 percent had

family incomes of $30,000 mid above. The lower family income of hired farmworkers reflects lower eamings

from both farm and nonfarm work, as well as from

other sources of income.

^The CPS defines income as combined of ail family members

during the last 12 months. Includes money from jobs; net income

from businesses, fams or rents; pensions, dividends, interest, social

security payments; and any other money income received by family

members who are 15 years of age or older.

Figure 13

Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by occupation, 1994

Occupation

Professional specialty-.

Executive, administrative, and managerial

Precision production, craft, and repair

Technicians and related support

Protective service

Transportation and materials moving -

Sales

Administrative support, including cierical

Operators, fabricators, and laborers -

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers

Other farming, forestry, and fishing

Service, except private household and protective

Hired farm

Private household

Median weel<ly earnings

' k'"—"-^ ^ 1700

" - . . " -. - ~ - 1673

. " .^ ^ % 1550

.X . ^ , . 11535

J519

. ;j 452

450 ' -- -^ ^ 1400 ^ ]360

^ ""^ ^« '^ 1312

-^ ^- -^ - x"* £-- - ,.,>1300

^ ^ 1268

^50

-~ --1175

200 400

Dollars

600 800

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the 1994 Current Population Survey eamings microdata file.

14 > Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
Table 14—Medían weekfy earnings of hired farmworkers by demographic and employment characteristics, 1994

Characteristics Hired Median weekly Characteristics Hired Median weekly

farmworkers earnings farmworkers earnings

Thousands Dollars Thousands Dollars

All hired farmworkers 779 238 Schooling completed (years):''

0-4 106 200

Sex: 5-8 175 231

Male 653 248 9-11 173 200

Female 126 180 12 202 270

13 or more 123 300

Racial/ethnic group:

White 394 240 Industry:

Hispanic 326 235 Crop production 405 231

Black and other 59 210 Livestock production 307 240

Agricultural services 67 231

Age: (years)

Less than 20 84 130 Farm production region:

20-24 125 225 Northeast 46 ...2

25-34 223 250 Midwest 140 240

35-44 164 250 South 310 210

45-54 105 262 West 283 265

55 and older 78 228

^ Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

^Percentages not shown where base is less than 50,000.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes to survey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Table 15—Family income of hired farmworkers and all wage and salary workers, 1994^

Income Hired farmworkers All wage and salary workers

Totals

Less than $10,000

$10,000 to $19,999

$20,000 to $29,999

$30,000 to $39,999

$40,000 to $49,999

$50,000 or more

Did not report income

Thousands Percent

779 100.0

153 19.6

237 30.4

152 19.6

93 12.0

36 4.6

55 7.0

53 6.8

Thousands Percent

107,824 100.0

7,283 6.8

14,146 13.1

17,166 15.9

16,616 15.4

12,521 11.6

33,240 30.8

6,852 6.4

^Combined income of all family members during the last 12 months. Includes money from jobs; net income from businesses, farms or rents; pensions,

dividends.interest, social security payments; and any other money income received by family members who are 15 years of age and older.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Econonnic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 15
References

Bowie, Chester E., Lawrence S. Gaboon, and Elizabeth

A. Martin. "Evaluating Change in the Estimates."

Monthly Labor Review. U.S. Dept. Labor, Bureau of

Labor Statistics. Vol. 116, No. 9. September 1993.

Bregger, John E. And Cathryn S. Dippo. "Why Is It

Necessary to Change?" Monthly Labor Review, U.S.

Dept. Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vol. 116,

No. 9. September 1993.

Census ofAgriculture, 1982, 1987, and 1992.

Deifico, Joseph F. Farmworkers Face Gaps in

Protection and Barriers to Benefits. U.S. General

Accounting Office. GAO.HRD-91-40. July 1991.

Farm Labor. U.S. Dept. Agr., National Agricultural

Statistics Service. Various issues.

Monthly Labor Review. U.S. Dept. Labor, Bureau of

Labor Statistics. Vol. 116, No. 9. September 1993.

Oliveira, Victor J. A Profile ofHired Farmworkers,

1990 Annual Averages. AER-658. U.S. Dept. Agr.,

Econ. Res. Serv. Feb. 1992.

Oliveira, Victor J., and Leslie A. Whitener. "Appendix

B. Agricultural Labor: A Review of the Data."

Immigration Reform and U.S. Agriculture.

University of California, Division of Agriculture and

Natural Resources. Pub. 3358. 1995.

Polivka, Anne E., and Jennifer Rothgeb. "Redesigning

the Questionnaire." Monthly Labor Review. U.S.

Dept. Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vol. 116,

No. 9. September 1993.

Runyan, Jack L. A Profile ofHired Farmworkers, 1992

Annual Averages. AER- 693. U.S. Dept. Agr., Econ.

Res. Serv. July 1994.

U.S. Department of Labor. Findings From the National

Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) 1990. Office of

the Assistant Secretary for Policy. Res. Rpt. No. 1.

1991.

Whitener, Leslie A. "The Agricultural Work Force:

Patterns and Trends." Papers and Proceedings ofthe

Surgeon General's Conference on Agricultural

Safety and Health. U.S. Dept. Health and Human

Services. April 1991.

16 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA
Appendix table 1—Demographic and earnings characteristics of hired farmworkers, 1990-1994

Annual averages

Characteristics 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

"ThousandS" —Percent—

Total workers 886 884 848 803 779 100 100 100 100 100

Gender:

Mate 735 728 711 680 653 82.9 82.4 83.8 84.7 83.8

Female 151 156 137 123 126 17.1 17.6 16.2 15.3 16.2

Racial/ethnic group:

Wliite 540 533 506 462 394 61.0 60.3 59.7 57.5 50.5

Hispanic 260 251 260 270 326 29.4 28.3 30.7 33.6 41.9

Black and other 85 100 82 71 59 9.6 11.4 9.6 8.9 7.6

Age (years):

Less than 20 144 128 122 112 84 16.2 14.4 14.5 14.0 10.7

20-24 135 114 113 106 125 15.3 13.0 13.3 13.2 16.1

25-34 251 256 246 235 223 28.4 28.9 9.0 29.3 28.5

35-44 170 180 175 175 164 19.2 20.3 20.6 21.8 21.1

45-54 90 95 96 97 105 10.2 10.8 11.3 12.1 13.5

55 and older 95 111 96 77 78 10.7 12.6 11.3 9.6 10.1

Median age 31 32 33 32 32 - ~ ~ ~ -

Marital status:

Married 472 472 454 407 464 53.3 53.4 53.5 51.8 59.5

Widowed, divorced,

or separated 79 99 86 76 69 8.9 11.2 10.1 9.5 8,9

Never married 335 313 308 310 246 37.8 35.4 36.4 38.6 31.6

Schooling completed:^

0-4 years 98 101 119 132 106 11.1 11.5 14.1 16.4 13.5

5-8 years 191 187 135 140 175 21.6 21.2 16.0 17.4 22.5

9-11 years 202 200 229 175 173 22.8 22.6 27.0 21.8 22.2

12 years 278 274 228 217 202 31.4 31.0 26.9 27.0 26.0

13 years or more 116 122 136 139 123 13.1 13.7 16.0 17.4 15.8

Weekly earnings:

Less than $100 126 111 102 88 78 14.2 12.6 12.0 10.9 10.1

$100-$199 251 234 259 210 188 28.4 26.5 30.5 26.2 24.1

$200-$299 295 301 261 289 268 33.4 34.0 30.8 36.0 34.4

$300-$399 118 145 127 125 146 13.4 16.4 15.0 15.6 18.8

$400-$499 46 48 47 45 58 5.2 5.4 5.5 5.6 7.4

$500-$599 23 24 28 24 22 2.4 2.7 3.3 3.0 2.8

$600 and over 27 21 24 22 19 3.0 2.4 2.8 2.7 2.4

Median earnings $200 $210 $200 $220 $238 -- -- - — .-

^Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes in survey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

Economic Research Service/USDA Profile of Hired Farn^workers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 17
Appendix table 2—Demographic and earnings characteristics of all wage and salary workers, 1990-1994

Annual averages

Characteristics 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994

'Thousands104,054

—Percent—

Total workers 104.351 103,166 105,407 107.824 100 100 100 100 100

Gender:

Male 55,043 54.128 54.317 54,954 56,465 52.7 52.5 52.2 52.1 52.4

Female 49,308 49,038 49,737 50.453 51,359 47.3 47.5 47.8 47.9 47.6

Racial/ethnic group:

White 81,695 80,522 81,032 81.907 82.240 78.3 78.1 77.9 77.7 76.3

Hispanic 8.197 8,207 8.356 8,598 10,014 7.9 8.0 8.0 8.2 9.3

Black and other 14,459 14,437 14,666 14,902 15,570 13.8 13.9 14.1 14.1 14.4

Age (years):

Less than 20 6,571 5.886 5.626 5,744 5,874 6.3 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.4

20-24 12,212 11.834 11,785 11,788 12,309 11.7 11.5 11.3 11.2 11.4

25-34 30,972 30,106 29,870 29.477 29,575 29.7 29.2 28.7 28.0 27.4

35-44 26,411 27.056 27,525 28,144 29.108 25.3 26.2 26.5 26.7 27.0

45-54 16,558 16,863 17,834 18,885 19,642 15.9 16.3 17.1 17.9 18.3

55 and older 11,628 11,421 11,414 11,367 11.316 11.1 11.1 11.0 10.8 10.5

Median age 35 36 36 36 36 ~ ~ ~ - ~

Marital status:

Married 60,706 60,360 60,174 61,378 62,663 58.2 58.5 58.3 58.2 58.1

Widowed, divorced,

or separated 14,925 14,178 15,088 15,421 15,587 14.3 14.3 15.4 14.6 14.5

Never married 28,720 28,087 28,252 28.608 29,574 27.5 27.2 27.2 27.1 27.4

Schooling completed:^

0-4 years 1,031 956 892 861 848 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8

5-8 years 4,141 3.844 3.166 3.006 3,024 4.0 3.7 3.0 2.8 2.8

9-11 years 11,222 10.561 10.525 10,278 10,193 10.8 10.2 10.1 9.8 9.5

12 years 41,166 40,385 36.431 36,246 35.959 39.4 39.2 35.0 34.4 33.3

13 years or more 46,792 47.410 53.040 55.016 57.800 44.8 46.0 51.0 52.2 53.6

Weekly earnings:

Less than $100 7,628 7.066 6,762 6.562 7,157 7.3 6.8 6.5 6.2 6.6

$100-$199 13.911 13,121 12.996 12,355 12,662 13.3 12.7 12.5 11.7 11.7

$200-$299 19,109 18.250 17,871 17,858 17.786 18.3 17.7 17.2 16.9 16.5

$300-$399 16,195 15.867 15.695 15,255 15,470 15.5 15.4 15.1 14.5 14.3

$400-$499 13,453 13.080 3,389 13,596 13,673 12.9 12.7 12.9 12.9 12.7

$500-$599 9,924 10.159 9,890 10,172 10.346 9.5 9.8 9.5 9.6 9.7

$600 and over 24.131 25,623 27.451 29,609 30.730 23.1 24.8 26.4 28.1 28.5

Median earnings $360 $370 $380 $400 $400 -- -- -- -- -

^Educational attainment levels, beginning January 1992, were revised to reflect degrees or diplomas received rather than years of school completed.

Note: Data for 1994 are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years because of changes in survey design.

Source: Calculated by ERS using data from the Current Population Survey earnings microdata file.

18 Profile of Hired Farmworkers, 1994 Annual Averages/AER-748 Economic Research Service/USDA