Findings from the 

National Agricultural 

Workers Survey 

(NAWS) 2001-2002

A Demographic and 

Employment Profile of 

United States Farm Workers 

Research Report No. 9 

U.S. Department of Labor 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy 

Office of Programmatic Policy 

March 2005 
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Findings from the 

National Agricultural 

Workers Survey 

(NAWS) 2001-2002 

A Demographic and 

Employment Profile of 

United States Farm Workers 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

ELAINE L. CHAO, SECRETARY 

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLICY 

VERONICA VARGAS STIDVENT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

OFFICE OF PROGRAMMATIC POLICY 

RUTH M. SAMARDICK, DIRECTOR 

MARCH 2005 

This report was produced through a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Aguirre International, Burlingame, California. 

It was written by: 

Daniel Carroll, U.S. Department of Labor 

Ruth M. Samardick, U.S. Department of Labor 

Scott Bernard, U.S. Department of Labor 

Susan Gabbard, Aguirre International 

Trish Hernandez, Aguirre International 

The authors are grateful to Jorge Nakamoto and Alberto Sandoval, Aguirre International, for 

coordinating the field interviews on which the report is based, as well as to the interviewer 

consultants and support staff of Aguirre International. The authors also thank the 6,472 U.S. 

crop workers who graciously participated in an interview during 2001-2002, and the agricultural 

employers who helped survey staff reach the workers. 

iii 

CONTENTS 

Page 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................... ix 

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................. 1 

 Topics Covered............................................................................. 1 

 Survey Method.............................................................................. 2 

CHAPTER 1: Birthplace, Employment Eligibility, and Migrant Types............... 3 

Summary of Findings..................................................................... 3 

Place of Birth............................................................................... 3 

Ethnicity and Race......................................................................... 4 

 Foreign-born Workers’ First Arrival to the United States............................ 4 

 Employment Eligibility................................................................... 6 

 Migrant Types.............................................................................. 7 

 International Migrants..................................................................... 8 

 Domestic Migrants......................................................................... 8 

CHAPTER 2: Demographics, Family Size, and Household Structure.................. 9 

Summary of Findings..................................................................... 9 

Gender....................................................................................... 9 

Age........................................................................................... 10

Marital Status and Family Type......................................................... 12 

 Household Structure...................................................................... 13 

CHAPTER 3: Education, Literacy, and English Skills.................................... 17 

Summary of Findings...................................................................... 17 

 Native Language............................................................................ 17 

Education.................................................................................... 18 

 Adult Education............................................................................ 19 

English Language Skills.................................................................. 21 
iv 

CONTENTS (continued) 

Page 

CHAPTER 4: Labor Force Participation.................................................. 23 

Summary of Findings.................................................................... 23 

Number of U.S. Farm Employers in Previous 12 Months.......................... 23 

Measuring Labor Force Participation................................................. 24 

Time Employed and Not Employed................................................... 24 

 Farm Workdays........................................................................... 26 

Farm Work Experience.................................................................. 27 

Plans to Remain in Farm Work......................................................... 29 

CHAPTER 5: Farm Job Characteristics................................................... 31 

Summary of Findings.................................................................... 31 

Type of Employer........................................................................ 31 

Crop and Task of Farm Jobs............................................................ 32 

Recruitment and Retention.............................................................. 34 

Hours Worked and Basis for Pay....................................................... 36 

Wages....................................................................................... 38 

Monetary Bonuses and Insurance Benefits............................................ 41 

Housing.................................................................................... 43 

Worksite Availability of Water and Toilets.......................................... 45 

Distance to Work and Transportation................................................. 45 

Tools and Equipment.................................................................... 46 

CHAPTER 6: Income, Assets, and Use of Public Programs........................... 47 

Summary of Findings................................................................... 47 

 Income.................................................................................... 47 

Assets..................................................................................... 49 

Contribution- and Needs-Based Programs........................................... 50 

APPENDIX A: Statistical Procedures....................................................... 53 

NAWS Weighting Procedure ............................................................ 53 

Determining Confidence Intervals...................................................... 53 

APPENDIX B: Index of Means and Percentages of Key Variables..................... 55 
v 

TABLES 

Table Page 

Table 1.1 Change in Migrant Types: 1993-1994 and 2001-2002 Compared... 8 

Table 2.1 Average Age by Select Demographic Characteristics.................. 11 

Table 2.2 Migrant Types: Crop Workers Living Apart from their Children..... 15 

Table 3.1 English Speaking and Reading Ability by Place of Birth and

 Ethnicity...................................................................... 22 

Table 4.1 Weeks of Activity by Legal Status......................................... 25 

Table 4.2 Weeks Employed and Not Employed by Age Group.................... 26 

Table 4.3 Farm Workdays by Number of U.S. Farm Employers and Years of 

U.S. Farm Experience ...................................................... 29 

Table 5.1 Primary Crop at Current Farm Job........................................ 32 

Table 5.2 Primary Crop by Employment Type...................................... 32 

Table 5.3 Primary Task at Current Farm Job........................................ 33 

Table 5.4 Primary Task by Employment Type...................................... 34 

Table 5.5 Job Characteristics: Foreign-born Newcomers and All Other 

Workers....................................................................... 34 

Table 5.6 Basis for Pay by Crop Type................................................ 38 

Table 5.7 Basis for Pay by Task Type................................................. 38 

Table 5.8 Average Hourly Earnings ................................................. 39 

Table 5.9 Average Hourly Wages of Crop Workers, Nominal and Real (2002) 

Dollars, Calendar Years 1993-2002......................................... 40 

Table 5.10 Insurance Benefits: Overall and by Seasonality, with Current Farm

 Employer........................................................................ 42 

Table 5.11 Housing Arrangement, by Worker Type................................... 43 
vi 

TABLES (continued) 

Table Page 

Table 5.12 Housing Location, by Worker Type......................................... 44 

Table 5.13 Housing Type, by Worker Type............................................. 44 

Table 5.14 Worksite Availability of Water and Toilets........................ 45 

Table 5.15 Transportation to Work, by Worker Type.................................. 46 

Table 5.16 Payment for Tools and Equipment, by Employment Type............. 46 

Table 6.1 Family Incomes below Poverty, by Family Size.......................... 48 

Table 6.2 Households Receiving Payments from Contribution-Based

 Programs........................................................................ 50 

Table 6.3 Households Receiving Benefits from Needs-Based Programs.......... 51 

Table A.1. Confidence Intervals for Continuous Variables ........................... 54 
vii 

FIGURES 

Figure Page 

Figure 1.1 Place of Birth................................................................. 3 

Figure 1.2 Foreign-born Workers: Years Passed Since First U.S. Arrival....... 5 

Figure 1.3 Years Since First U.S. Arrival by Birthplace............................ 6 

Figure 1.4 U.S. Employment Eligibility............................................... 7 

Figure 2.1 Legal Status by Gender..................................................... 9 

Figure 2.2 Age Distribution of Hired Crop Workers................................. 10 

Figure 2.3 Age Distribution by Legal Status.......................................... 11 

Figure 2.4 Family Type.................................................................. 12 

Figure 2.5 Number of Children of Hired Crop Farm Workers..................... 13 

Figure 2.6 Cohabitation of Farm Worker Parent and Minor Children............ 14 

Figure 3.1 Native Language............................................................ 17 

Figure 3.2 Highest Grade Completed by Place of Birth............................ 18 

Figure 3.3 Highest Grade Completed by Foreign-born Newcomers.............. 19 

Figure 3.4 Participation in Adult Education.......................................... 20 

Figure 3.5 Adult Education by Highest Grade Completed......................... 21 

Figure 4.1 Number of U.S. Farm Employers in Previous 12 Months............ 23 

Figure 4.2 Time Employed and Not Employed....................................... 24 

Figure 4.3 Farm Workdays by Legal Status.......................................... 27 

Figure 4.4 Farm Work Experience by Legal Status................................. 28 

Figure 5.1 Legal Status by Employment Type........................................ 31 
viii 

FIGURES (continued) 

Figure Page 

Figure 5.2 Number of Years Working for Current Farm Employer............... 35 

Figure 5.3 Employment Seasonality by Years with Current Farm Employer...... 36 

Figure 5.4 Crop Workers’ Average Hourly Wages, Nominal and Real (2002) 

Dollars, Calendar Years 1993-2002......................................... 40 

Figure 6.1 U.S. Individual Income from All Sources................................. 48 

Figure 6.2 Farm Workers’ Assets in the United States............................... 49 

Figure 6.3 Foreign-born Workers’ Assets in Foreign Country....................... 50 
ix 

Executive Summary 

This report is the ninth in a series of Department of Labor publications on the 

demographic and employment characteristics of the nation’s hired crop labor force. The 

findings come from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), a nationwide, 

random survey that obtains information directly from farm workers. The information 

summarized herein was collected between October 1, 2000 and September 30, 2002 

(federal fiscal years 2001 and 2002), through face-to-face interviews with 6,472 crop 

farm workers.1 

Demographic Characteristics 

In fiscal years 2001-2002, as in previous periods, the hired farm workforce was 

predominantly foreign-born. Just 23 percent of all hired crop farm workers were born in 

the United States; 75 percent were born in Mexico, two percent in Central American 

countries, and one percent of the crop workers were born in other countries.2 

Mexico-born crop workers were from almost every state of their native country. The 

largest share (46%) were from the traditional sending states of west central Mexico: 

Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Michoacan. However, an increasing share were from nontraditional states. The share from the southern part of Mexico, comprising the states of 

Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla, Morelos and Veracruz, doubled from nine percent in 

1993-1994 to 19 percent in 2001-2002. 

In 2001-2002, 53 percent of the hired crop labor force lacked authorization to work in the 

United States, down from 55 percent in 1999-2000. Another 25 percent of the crop 

workers in 2001-2002 were U.S. citizens, 21 percent were legal permanent residents, and 

one percent were employment-eligible on some other basis. 

A large share (42%) of the crop workers in 2001-2002 were migrants, defined as having 

traveled at least 75 miles within the previous year to obtain a farm job. This figure was 

down from 47 percent in 1993-1994. Among the migrants, 26 percent traveled only 

within the United States and 35 percent migrated back-and-forth from a foreign country 

(primarily Mexico). Fully 38 percent of them were newcomers to the United States who 

had been in the country less than a year when they were interviewed. These foreign-born 

newcomers comprised 16 percent of all hired crop workers in 2001-2002, an increase of 

60 percent from 1993-1994, when they were just ten percent of all crop farm workers. 

Nearly all (99%) of the foreign-born newcomers were unauthorized. 

Crop workers are young: the average age in 2001-2002 was 33, and half were younger 

than 31. Among all crop workers, 79 percent were male, 58 percent were married, and 51 

percent were parents, who reported an average of two children. 

1

 The population sampled by the NAWS consists of nearly all farm workers in crop agriculture, including

field packers and supervisors. The sample does not include poultry, livestock and fishery workers, 

secretaries, mechanics, or H-2A foreign temporary workers. 2

 The sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 
x 

This report uses the term “unaccompanied” to describe workers who were living away 

from all nuclear family members when interviewed. Thirty-four percent of the parents 

and 30 percent of childless married workers were “unaccompanied”. Eighty-seven 

percent of this subset of unaccompanied workers had at least one child and/or a spouse 

living in Mexico. Work authorized parents were twice as likely to be accompanied by 

their spouse and children as unauthorized parents (86% vs. 43%, respectively). 

The majority (81%) of all crop workers reported that Spanish was their native language. 

Forty-four percent reported that they could not speak English “at all”; 53 percent said that 

they could not read English “at all.” On average, the highest grade completed was 

seventh grade. While 56 percent of the U.S.-born had completed the 12th grade, only six 

percent of the foreign-born had done so. Twenty percent of all crop workers in 2001-

2002 reported that they had taken at least one kind of adult education class in the United 

States in their lifetime. 

Employment Characteristics 

In 2001-2002, nine out of ten of all crop workers, including foreign-born newcomers, 

reported having worked for one or two U.S. farm employers3

 in the previous 12 months. 

Excluding foreign-born newcomers, who have less than 12 months work history in the 

United States, workers averaged 34 and a half weeks of farm work and five weeks of 

non-farm work in the previous year. Again excluding foreign-born newcomers, crop 

workers averaged 190 days of farm work in the 12 months preceding their interview; 77 

percent reported working at least 100 days. 

Including foreign-born newcomers, crop workers interviewed in fiscal years 2001-2002 

had been employed with their current farm employer an average of nearly four and a half 

years. Thirty-five percent had been working for their current farm employer for one year 

or less, and 13 percent had been employed at their current job for ten or more years. 

Seventy-nine percent of all crop workers were employed directly by growers and packing 

firms; farm labor contractors employed the remaining 21 percent. The share of workers 

who were employed by farm labor contractors increased by 50 percent between the 

periods 1993-1994 and 2001-2002, from 14 to 21 percent, respectively. 

NAWS respondents worked an average of 42 hours per week and had average hourly 

earnings of $7.25. Average hourly earnings increased with years of employment for a 

particular employer. Crop workers who had been with their employer for one year or less 

averaged $6.76 per hour; those with their current employer for at least six years averaged 

$8.05 per hour. Average hourly earnings increased by 25 percent in nominal dollars and 

by nine percent in inflation-adjusted (real) dollars between the periods 1993-1994 and 

2001-2002. The increases, however, were not steady. Real hourly earnings declined 

between 1993 and 1996, and then fell again slightly between 2000 and 2001. 

3

 An employer can be either a farm owner or a farm labor contractor. While a worker employed by a farm 

labor contractor may work on more than one farm in a year, their contractor is counted as one employer. 
xi 

Insurance Benefits 

Thirty-nine percent of the workers reported that they would be covered by unemployment 

insurance (UI) if they lost their job. Fifty-four percent reported not being covered by UI 

and eight percent did not know.4

 Work authorized respondents were much more likely 

than those not authorized to report that they would receive UI benefits should they lose 

their job (76% vs. 4%, respectively). A larger share of workers (48%) reported that they 

would be covered by workers’ compensation for a work-related illness or injury; 20 

percent said they would not be covered and 31 percent did not know. Unauthorized 

workers were half as likely (33%) as authorized workers (65%) to report being covered 

by workers’ compensation and were twice as likely (41%) as authorized workers (20%) 

not to know if they were covered. 

Twenty-three percent of those interviewed in 2001-2002 said they were covered by health 

insurance. Among these insured crop workers, the largest share (46%) said their current 

farm employer paid for it; 19 percent said the government provided it; 15 percent 

reported that either they or their spouse paid for all of the insurance; 12 percent said they 

were covered under their spouse’s employer’s plan; and seven percent identified an 

“other” coverage source. 

Housing 

At the time of the interview, a majority (58%) of the workers lived in housing they rented 

from someone other than their employer. Twenty-one percent lived in housing that was 

supplied by their employer (17 percent received it free of charge and four percent paid 

rent either directly or via payroll deduction); 19 percent lived in housing that either they 

or a family member owned; and two percent lived, free of charge, with family or friends. 

Income, Use of Needs-based Programs, Assets 

The average individual income of crop workers was between $10,000 and $12,499. Total 

family income averaged between $15,000 and $17,499. Thirty percent of all farm 

workers had total family incomes that were below the poverty guidelines. Twenty-two 

percent said that they or someone in their household had used at least one type of public 

assistance program in the previous two years. The most common was Medicaid (15%), 

followed by Women Infants and Children (11%) and Food Stamps (8%). Less than one 

percent reported that they or someone in their family had received general assistance 

welfare or temporary assistance to needy families (TANF). 

In 2001-2002, 74 percent of all crop workers reported that they owned or were buying at 

least one asset either in the United States or in their home country. The most commonly 

held asset in the United States was a car or truck (49%), followed by a home (17%), land 

(4%), and mobile home (3%). U.S.-born workers were more likely (38%) to own or be 

buying a home in the United States than were foreign-born workers (11%). 

4

 The sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 
xii
1 

Introduction 

This report describes the demographic and employment characteristics of hired crop farm 

workers – an important segment of the U.S. labor force whose performance of numerous 

and varied agricultural tasks helps produce a large share of the nation’s food supply and 

contributes significantly to U.S. exports. The information summarized herein was 

collected from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey 

(NAWS) between October 1, 2000 and September 30, 2002 through face-to-face 

interviews with 6,472 crop farm workers. 

The NAWS interviews workers engaged in “seasonal agricultural services,” a U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) designation of workers who perform “field work” in 

the vast majority of nursery products, cash grains, and field crops, as well as in all fruits 

and vegetables. The NAWS also includes persons who work in the production of silage 

and other animal fodder. As such, the population sampled by the NAWS consists of 

nearly all farm workers in crop agriculture, including field packers, and supervisors, and 

even those who simultaneously hold non-farm jobs. The sample does not include 

poultry, livestock and fishery workers, secretaries, mechanics, or H-2A foreign temporary 

workers. 

The NAWS is the only national information source on the demographic, employment, 

and health characteristics of this population. Since its inception in 1988, the survey has 

benefited from the collaboration of multiple federal agencies, which continue to share in 

the design of the questionnaire. Information provided through the survey informs the 

policies and programs of the many federal government agencies that protect and provide 

services to migrant and seasonal farm workers and their dependents. 

Topics Covered 

This report is organized in six chapters, each beginning with a summary of the chapter’s 

key findings. The report also contains two appendices: Appendix A describes the 

statistical procedures used to analyze the data and Appendix B is a table of the means and 

percentages of the principle variables presented in the report. 

Chapters 1 through 3 summarize the demographic characteristics of farm workers, 

including place of birth, ethnicity and race, employment eligibility, gender, age, marital 

status, household size and structure, education, and language ability. Chapter 4 gives an 

overview of farm workers’ participation in U.S. agricultural and non-agricultural sector 

employment, and Chapter 5 summarizes the characteristics of farm jobs, including crops 

and tasks, recruitment and retention, hours worked, and wages and benefits. Chapter 6 

presents information on crop farm workers’ income, assets, and use of social services. It 

covers personal and family income, assets in the United States and home country, family 

poverty status, and use of government programs. 
2 

Survey Method 

NAWS uses multi-stage sampling to account for seasonal and regional fluctuations in the 

level of farm employment. Seasonal fluctuations in the agricultural work force are 

captured by three interviewing cycles, each lasting ten to twelve weeks. Cycles begin in 

February, June, and October. The number of interviews conducted during a cycle is 

proportional to the amount of crop activity at that time of the year, which is approximated 

using administrative data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics and 

the USDA’s Census of Agriculture. 

NAWS samples workers in 12 regions, which are aggregated from 17 USDA-designated 

agricultural regions. Within the 12 regions, sampling locations are selected from a roster 

of 80 clusters. Clusters are either single counties or aggregates of counties that have 

similar farm labor usage during the particular cycle. The clusters are selected in each 

region with probabilities proportional to size of farm labor expenses. Within clusters, 

counties are then selected, also based on probabilities proportional to size of farm labor 

expenses. 

The penultimate sampling stage is the selection of agricultural employers. In order to 

maintain regionally representative data and yet have an adequate distribution of rare 

events, simple random sampling is used. The employers are randomly selected from 

public agency records. Principal among these are unemployment insurance files, 

Agricultural Commissioners’ pesticide registrations, and lists maintained by the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics and various state agencies. The availability of these data varies by 

state. NAWS staff review and update these lists annually. 

The end stage of sampling is the selection of farm workers at the establishment. Once the 

sample of employers is drawn, NAWS interviewers contact the selected growers, explain 

the purpose of the survey, and obtain access to the work site in order to schedule 

interviews. Interviewers then go to the farm, ranch, or nursery, explain the purpose of the 

survey to the workers, and ask a random sample of them to participate. As such, only 

workers who are employed in agriculture at the time of the interview are included in the 

sample. Interviews are conducted in the worker’s home or at another location of the 

worker’s choice. 
3 

Chapter 1: Birthplace, Employment Eligibility, and Migrant Types 

U.S. CROP WORKERS’ NATIONAL ORIGIN, ETHNICITY AND RACE; FOREIGN-BORN 

WORKERS’ FIRST ARRIVAL TO THE U.S.; WORK AUTHORIZATION; INTERNATIONAL & 

DOMESTIC MIGRANTS 

Summary of Findings 

• Seventy-five percent of the workers were born in Mexico. 

• Fifty-three percent of all respondents were not authorized to work in the United 

States. 

• Foreign-born newcomers comprised 16 percent of the hired crop labor force. 

Place of Birth

Foreign-born workers comprised a large share of the hired crop labor force in fiscal years 

2001-2002. Among all crop workers, 78 percent were born outside the United States: 

seventy-five percent were born in Mexico, two percent were from Central American 

countries, and one percent of the workers were from elsewhere (fig. 1.1). 

Other, 1% 

i

United States, 23% 

Central America, 2% 

Mex co, 75% 

Figure 1.1 Place of Birth. Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 
4 

Workers born in Mexico were from almost every state of their native country. The 

largest share (46%) were from the traditional sending states of west central Mexico: 

Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Michoacan. However, an increasing share were from nontraditional states. For example, the share of Mexican crop workers from the southern part 

of Mexico, comprising the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla, Morelos and 

Veracruz, doubled from nine percent in 1993-1994 to 19 percent in 2001-2002. 

Ethnicity and Race 

The NAWS uses the following response categories for ethnicity: Mexican-American, 

Mexican, Chicano, Puerto Rican, other Hispanic, and not Hispanic or Latino. In 2001-

2002, 83 percent of the crop workers identified themselves as members of a Hispanic 

group: 72 percent as Mexican, seven percent as Mexican-American, one percent as 

Chicano, and three percent as other Hispanic. Only 16 percent of U.S. crop workers self 

identified as belonging to an ethnic group that was not Hispanic or Latino. Ethnicity 

labels, however, are somewhat arbitrary as they are based on multiple characteristics such 

as cultural heritage, nationality, and racial background. For example, 17 percent of the 

U.S.-born crop workers self identified as Mexican-American and four percent as 

Mexican. 

Race is a difficult concept for many foreign workers, who often do not use the same 

concepts in their home countries. Using the Office of Management and Budget’s 

standard categories for race, crop workers were asked to describe themselves as White; 

Black or African American; American Indian, Alaskan Native or Indigenous; Asian; 

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and other. Forty-seven percent of the respondents 

answered “other” to this question, while 41 percent self identified as White; eight percent 

as American Indian, Alaskan Native or Indigenous; four percent as Black, and less than 

one percent each as Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Among those who 

answered “other”, nearly all (99%) identified themselves as members of a Hispanic 

group: 85 percent self identified as Mexican; nine percent as Mexican-American, four 

percent as other Hispanic, and one percent as Chicano. 

Foreign-born Workers’ First Arrival to the United States 

NAWS interviewers ask the month and year each foreign-born crop worker first entered 

the United States. While not a measure of continued residence, data from this question 

provide important, albeit partial, information about foreign-born workers’ migration 

history as well a measure of the stability of the farm labor market. 

On average, foreign-born crop workers first came to the United States ten years prior to 

being interviewed. Large shares of the foreign-born, however, had either first entered the 

United States less than one year ago (17%), or more than 14 years ago (29%) (fig. 1.2). 
5 

35% 

Percentage of Foreign-born 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

< 1 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 9 10 -14 15 + 

16% 

13% 

29% 

9% 

17% 17% 

Number of Years 

Figure 1.2 Foreign-born Workers: Years Passed Since First U.S. Arrival. Note: Sum 

of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

The period since first arrival varied by birthplace. Crop workers born in Mexico had, on 

average, first come to the United States ten years ago, compared to five years ago for 

workers born in Central American countries (fig. 1.3). 

Foreign-born newcomers play a particularly significant and growing role in the hired crop 

workforce. Defined as persons who were in the United States for the first time and who 

had been in this country for less than a year when they were interviewed, their 

contribution to the crop workforce increased from 10 percent in 1993-1994 to 16 percent 

in 2001-2002. Because foreign-born newcomers differ in many respects from other crop 

workers, they are discussed as a separate group in several parts of this report. 
6 

Mexico 10 

5 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 

Average Number of Years 

Figure 1.3 Years since First U.S. Arrival by Birthplace. 

Employment Eligibility 

Foreign-born workers may be authorized to work in the United States under various visa 

categories. While employment eligibility, like all information obtained in the NAWS, is 

self reported, the NAWS seeks to determine whether foreign-born respondents are 

authorized to work in the United States by asking a series of related questions that 

produces a picture of their eligibility status. The questions address the foreign-born 

worker’s current status (citizen, legal permanent resident, border crossing-card holder, 

applicant for residency, temporary visa holder, or unauthorized) and, when applicable, 

the date and program under which the individual applied for legal status. The responses 

to these questions are examined to determine whether the interviewee is eligible to work 

in the United States. Each foreign-born respondent is also directly asked if he/she has 

authorization to work in the United States. 

In 2001-2002, 53 percent of the hired crop labor force lacked work authorization, down 

from 55 percent in 1999-2000. Another 25 percent of the crop workers in 2001-2002 

were U.S. citizens, 21 percent were legal permanent residents, and one percent were 

employment-eligible on some other basis (e.g., the application for residency, via family 

sponsorship, was pending) (fig 1.4). Among citizens, 91 percent were born in the United 

States, and nine percent were naturalized. 

Central America 

Place of Birth 
7 

Citizen 

25% 

Legal permanent 

resident 

21% 

Other work 

authorized 

1% 

Unauthorized

53%

Figure 1.4 U.S. Employment Eligibility. 

Migrant Types 

The definition of “migrant” varies among the multitude of federal government agencies 

and programs that provide services to migrant and seasonal farm workers. In the NAWS, 

migrants are defined as persons who travel at least 75 miles during a 12-month period to 

obtain a farm job.5

 Overall, migrants comprised 42 percent of crop workers in 2001-

2002, an 11 percent decrease from 1993-1994 when they were 47 percent. 

The migrant labor force demonstrates various migration patterns. Some migrants do no 

U.S. farm work at their home base, but travel 75 miles or more to do farm work in a 

single U.S. location and work only within a 75-mile radius of that location. In the 

NAWS, these workers are referred to as shuttle migrants. Workers who travel to multiple 

U.S. farm locations for work are called follow-the-crop migrants. Follow-the-crop 

migrants might or might not do U.S. farm work at their home base. These two migration 

patterns can be further divided between international and domestic migrants, depending 

on whether they crossed international borders in the 12-months prior to their NAWS 

interview. 

5

 An overnight stay is not required to be classified as a migrant. 
8 

International Migrants 

Among international migrants, foreign-born newcomers are an important group to 

consider: in 2001-2002 they made up 16 percent of all hired crop workers, 22 percent of 

the foreign-born, 38 percent of the migrants, and 72 percent of all workers who were in 

their first year of U.S. farm employment. At the time of the interview, these workers 

have often not demonstrated a migration pattern within the United States, therefore they 

are not classified in this report as shuttle or follow-the-crop migrants. However, they are 

referred to as migrants in the NAWS by virtue of their having traveled at least 75 miles in 

their journey to the United States. As discussed in the previous section, the share of 

foreign-born newcomers, among all hired crop workers, increased by 60 percent between 

the periods 1993-1994 and 2001-2002. Over the same periods, the share of foreign-born 

newcomers among migrants increased by 69 percent (table 1.1). 

Other international migrants include shuttle and follow-the-crop (FTC) migrants. The 

share of international shuttle migrants was stable over the ten-year period: they were 13 

percent of all workers and 29 percent of the migrants in 1993-1994, and 13 percent of all 

workers and 30 percent of the migrants in 2001-2002. The share of workers who were 

international follow-the-crop migrants, on the other hand, decreased substantially: they 

went from being five percent of all workers and ten percent of migrants in 1993-1994, to 

just two and five percent, respectively, in 2001-2002. 

Domestic Migrants 

Domestic migrants also include shuttle and follow-the-crop migrants. Unlike 

international migrants, domestic migrants had not left the United States in the 12 months 

preceding their interview. Like international migrants, the overall and relative shares of 

domestic migrants changed between the periods 1993-1994 and 2001-2002. Domestic 

shuttle migrants comprised nine percent of all crop workers and 18 percent of migrants in 

the earlier period; their share decreased to six percent of all workers and 13 percent of the 

migrants in 2001-2002. The share of domestic follow-the-crop migrants also decreased 

between the two periods. They comprised nine percent of all workers and 20 percent of 

migrants in 1993-1994, but were six percent of all and 13 percent of migrants in 2001-

2002. 

Table 1.1 Change in Migrant Types: 1993-1994 and 2001-2002 Compared 

1993-1994 2001-2002 Change in 

Percent of Percent of Percent of 

Migrant Type All Migrants All Migrants Migrants 

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% -

Foreign-born newcomer 10% 23% 16% 38% + 69% 

International shuttle 13% 29% 13% 30% + 3% 

International FTC 5% 10% 2% 5% - 50% 

Domestic shuttle 9% 18% 6% 13% - 28% 

Domestic FTC 9% 20% 6% 14% - 30% 

Non Migrant 53% - 58% - -

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all categories because of rounding. 
9 

Chapter 2: Demographics, Family Size, and Household Structure 

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF U.S. CROP WORKERS: GENDER, AGE AND MARITAL 

STATUS; FAMILY SIZE; HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE 

Summary of Findings 

• Farm workers were young: their average age was 33, and half were younger than 31. 

• Seventy-nine percent were men. 

• Fifty-seven percent were living apart from all nuclear family members when they 

were interviewed. 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

Gender 

Seventy-nine percent of all crop workers, and 90 percent of the foreign-born newcomers, 

6 were men. Men were more likely than women to be unauthorized (56% vs. 39%) and 

were less likely than women to be U.S.-born (20% vs. 33%) (fig. 2.1). 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0%

Unauthorized Legal Permanent Naturalized Citizen U.S.-born Citizen

Resident

24% 

3% 

56% 

21% 

2% 

20% 

39% 

33% 

Legal Status 

Women Men 

Figure 2.1 Legal Status by Gender. Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of 

rounding. 

6

 As discussed in Chapter 1, foreign-born newcomers are defined as persons who first came to the United 

States less than a year ago. They comprised 16 percent of the hired crop labor force in 2001-2002. 
10 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

Age 

U.S. crop workers are relatively young: in 2001-2002 the average age for both men and 

women was 33. Half of all workers were less than age 31, and a small percentage were 

younger than 18 (6%) or older than 54 (7%) (fig. 2.2). 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0%

14 - 17 18 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 +

6% 

5% 

30% 

20% 

12% 

6% 

1% 

20% 

Age Cohort 

Figure 2.2 Age Distribution of Hired Crop Workers. 

Age varied by legal status, place of birth and, among foreign-born workers, by the 

number of years since first arriving to the United States. In 2001-2002, unauthorized 

workers were, on average, ten years younger than authorized workers (28 and 38, 

respectively). Eighty percent of the unauthorized workers were less than 35, compared to 

only 40 percent of the authorized workers (fig. 2.3). Workers from Central American 

countries were, on average, younger than Mexico- and U.S.-born workers (28 vs. 32 and 

36, respectively). Among U.S.-born workers, African Americans were the oldest 

(average age was 43), followed by Whites (36), and Hispanics (33). Among foreign-born 

workers, newcomers, were, on average, ten years younger than those who had arrived at 

least one year prior to being interviewed (24 vs. 34) (table 2.1). 
11 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

4% 3% 

10% 

23% 

9% 

3% 

8% 7% 

37% 

4% 3% 

0% 

29% 

20% 

28% 

12% 

14 - 17 18 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 + 

Age Cohort 

Authorized Unauthor zed i

Figure 2.3 Age Distribution by Legal Status. Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 

percent because of rounding. 

Table 2.1 Average Age by Select Demographic Characteristics 

Percentage of 

Group 

Average 

Age 

Hired Crop Worker 

Population 

All Crop Workers 33 100% 

Foreign-born 

All Foreign-born 32 77% 

Authorized Foreign-born 40 24% 

Unauthorized Foreign-born 28 53% 

Newcomers 24 16% 

Arrived more than year ago 34 61% 

Born in Mexico 32 75% 

Born in Central American country 28 2% 

U.S.-born 

All U.S.-born 36 23% 

African American 43 4% 

White 36 12% 

Hispanic 33 7% 
12 

Marital Status and Family Type 

Nearly three out of five (58%) crop workers interviewed in 2001-2002 were married, a 

larger share than in 1993-1994 (52%). Thirty-eight percent had never been married and 

five percent were either separated, divorced, or widowed. Women were slightly more 

likely than men to be married (59% vs. 57%, respectively). 

Fifty-one percent of all farm workers, married or single, were parents, compared to 41 

percent in 1993-1994. A little more than a third (37%) were single and without children, 

12 percent were married without children, and six percent were unmarried parents (fig. 

2.4). 

Married parent 

45% 

Unmarried parent 

6% 

Married, no children 

12% 

Single, no children

37%

Figure 2.4 Family Type. 

In 2001-2002, parents employed in U.S. crop agriculture had an average of two children. 

Ninety-six percent of the children were minors (under the age of 18). Nearly a third of 

the parents (31%) had one child (fig. 2.5). 
13 

20% 

3% 

2% 

1% 

0% 

5% 

10% 

15% 

20% 

25% 

30% 

35% 

31% 

10% 

33% 

Percentage of Farm Worker Parents 

1 2 3 4 5 67 + 

Number of Children 

Figure 2.5 Number of Children of Hired Crop Farm Workers 

Household Structure 

In the NAWS, crop workers who are living apart from all nuclear family members 

(parents, spouse, and children) at the time of the interview are defined as 

“unaccompanied”; those who are living with at least one nuclear family member are 

“accompanied.”7

 In 2001-2002, 57 percent of all crop workers were unaccompanied. 

The majority of the unaccompanied (61%) were single workers who did not have 

children; 31 percent were parents and eight percent were married but without children. 

Two-thirds (66%) of all parents and 71 percent of childless married workers were 

accompanied. Of the parents and married workers who were unaccompanied, almost 

nine out of ten (87%) had at least one child and/or a spouse living in Mexico; eight 

percent had nuclear family members in other parts of the United States, and four percent 

in other countries. 

Living with nuclear family at the time of the interview varied by gender and legal status. 

Women were more than twice as likely (75%) as men (35%) to be accompanied. Among 

the parents, nearly all (97%) of the mothers were accompanied, compared to 55 percent 

of the fathers. Similarly, among childless married workers, 95 percent of the women and 

62 percent of the men were living with their spouse at interview time. Several factors 

7

 Crop workers under the age of 18 who live with a sibling are “accompanied”. 
14 

may be related to these differences: female farm workers were more likely than males to 

be U.S.-born (33% vs. 20%), and non-migrant (71% vs. 55%). Parents who had 

authorization to work in the United States were twice as likely to be accompanied as 

parents who lacked authorization (86% vs. 43%, respectively). 

In 2001-2002, farm worker parents had an average of two minor children. Sixty-one 

percent of the parents were living with all of their minor children when they were 

interviewed; 37 percent were living apart from all of their minor children, and two 

percent were living with some. The likelihood of parents living away from all of their 

minor children increased with family size: parents who had five or more minor children 

were 33 percent more likely to live away from all of their children than were parents who 

had only one minor child (44% vs. 33%, respectively) (fig. 2.6). 

Percentage of Parents 

75%

70%

65%

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

1 2 3 4 5+ 

49% 

63% 

67% 

45% 44%

35% 

55% 

52% 

43% 

33% 

Number of Children 

Parent Lives w th A i ll Minor Children Parent Lives Away from Al dren l Minor Chil

Figure 2.6 Cohabitation of Farm Worker Parent and Minor Children. 

Among parents, those most likely to be living apart from their minor children were men, 

migrants, Mexicans, and unauthorized workers. Among the migrant parents who were 

living away from all of their children, 85 percent were international migrants and 15 

percent were domestic migrants (table 2.2).8 

8

 The designations “international” and “domestic” migrants convey the travel patterns of the parents, not 

the country where the children were living when their parents were interviewed. 
15 

Table 2.2 Migrant Types: Crop Workers Living Apart from their Children 

Migrant Type Percent of Migrants 

 Total Migrants 100% 

International 85% 

 Newcomer 35% 

Shuttle 43% 

Follow-the-crop 7% 

 Domestic 15% 

Shuttle 6% 

Follow-the-crop 9% 
16
17 

Chapter 3: Education, Literacy, and English Skills 

NATIVE LANGUAGE, EDUCATION LEVEL, AND ENGLISH SPEAKING AND READING ABILITY 

Summary of Findings 

• Eighty-one percent of the workers reported that Spanish was their native language. 

• On average, the highest grade completed by crop workers was seventh grade. 

• Forty-four percent self-reported that they could not speak English “at all”; 53 percent 

could not read English “at all.” 

Native Language 

Spanish9

 was the predominant native language of crop workers (81%), followed by 

English (18%). Two percent reported other languages such as Creole, Mixteco, and 

Kanjobal (fig.3.1). Twenty-two percent of the mainland U.S.-born crop workers also 

reported that their native language was Spanish. 

Other, 2% 

English, 18% 

Spanish, 81% 

Figure 3.1 Native Language. Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of 

rounding. 

9

 The NAWS contractor has observed that it is not uncommon for Native Americans from Mexico and 

Central American countries to report Spanish as their primary language, even when the first language these 

same workers spoke as a child was an indigenous one and they are currently somewhat limited in Spanish. 
18 

Education 

A large share of crop workers reported having completed relatively few years of formal 

education. Among all workers in 2001-2002, the mean highest grade completed was Percentage of Crops Workers 

seventh and the median was sixth. Four percent reported having never attended school 

and thirteen percent had completed grade three or less. Sixty-six percent had completed 

between grades four to eleven, 13 percent had completed the twelfth grade, and just five 

percent had completed some education beyond high school. 

Nearly all workers (97%) completed their highest grade in their country of origin: 72 

percent completed their highest grade in Mexico, 26 percent in the United States, two 

percent in Central American countries, and less than one percent from all other countries. 

The highest grade completed varied by place of birth: on average, U.S.-born workers had 

completed the eleventh grade and foreign-born workers had completed the sixth. While 

56 percent of the U.S.-born had completed the twelfth grade, only six percent of the 

foreign-born had done so (fig. 3.2). 

50% 

45% 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

4% 

28% 

13% 

5% 

0% 

2% 

8% 

40% 

5% 

16% 

27% 

5% 

1% 

38% 

33% 

13% 

16% 

47% 

0 1 - 3 4 - 7 8 - 11 12 13 + 

Highest Grade Completed 

All Workers U.S.-born Fore gn-born i

Figure 3.2 Highest Grade Completed by Place of Birth. Note: Sum of portions may not 

equal 100 percent because of rounding. 

Over time, the education level of foreign-born newcomers entering the hired farm 

workforce has increased. While six percent of the foreign-born newcomers in 1993-1994 

reported never having attended school, only half as many (3%) so reported in 2001-2002. 

Conversely, the share of the foreign-born newcomers who had completed eight to eleven 

years of school, rose from 23 percent in 1993-1994 to 37 percent in 2001-2002. On the 
19 

other hand, compared to 1993-1994, a smaller share of the new foreign-born workers in 

2001-2002 had completed the twelfth grade (fig. 3.3). Percentage of Newcomers 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

0 1 - 3 4 - 7 8 - 11 12 13 + 

6% 

14% 

49% 

7% 

1% 

3% 

9% 

46% 

37% 

3% 

1% 

23% 

Highest Grade Completed 

1993-1994 2001-2002 

Figure 3.3 Highest Grade Completed by Foreign-born Newcomers. 

Adult Education 

Twenty percent of all crop workers reported that they had taken at least one kind of adult 

education class in the United States in their lifetime. The most popular of these were 

English (10%) and high school equivalency (GED) classes (5%). Smaller shares reported 

having taken job training or citizenship classes (2 percent each) (fig. 3.4). 
20 

Type of Class 

Any Adult Education 20% 

English 10% 

GED 5% 

College or University 3% 

Citizenship 2%

Job Training 2%

Other 1%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

Figure 3.4 Participation in Adult Education. 

Crop workers with the most initial education were most likely to attend adult education 

classes. Much greater proportions of workers who had completed between the eighth and 

eleventh grade (23%) or the twelfth grade (31%) had taken a class than those who had 

completed between grades one to three (8%) or four to seven (14%) (fig. 3.5). 

Authorized workers were three times as likely to have taken some type of adult education 

(32%) as unauthorized workers (10%). 
21 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

0 1 - 3 4 - 7 8 - 11 12 

7% 

31% 

23% 

8% 

14% 

Highest Grade Completed 

Figure 3.5 Adult Education by Highest Grade Completed. 

English Language Skills 

NAWS respondents are asked, “How well do you speak English?” and “How well do you 

read English?” Among all crop workers interviewed in 2001-2002, 44 percent responded 

that they could not speak English “at all,” 26 percent said that they could speak it “a 

little,” six percent said “some,” and only 24 percent said that they spoke English “well.” 

The responses were similar regarding the ability to read English: 53 percent could not 

read it “at all,” 20 percent could read English “a little,” six percent could read “some,” 

and only 22 percent said that they could read English “well.”10 

The ability to speak and read English varied by place of birth and ethnicity. Nearly all 

(98%) of the US-born, non-Hispanic workers said that they spoke English “well,” and 

nearly as many (93%) responded that they read English “well.” Among US-born 

Hispanics, only two-thirds responded that they could speak and read English “well” (66% 

to both questions). Workers born in Mexico and other foreign-born Hispanics were at the 

other extreme of the English language ability spectrum, with the majority of both groups 

responding that they could not speak or read English “at all” (table 3.1). 

10 Respondents’ self-reports of English proficiency could be higher or lower than their actual proficiency. 
22 

Table 3.1 English Speaking and Reading Ability, by Place of Birth and Ethnicity 

U.S.-born U.S.-born Other Foreign-born 

non- Hispanic Hispanic Mexico-born Hispanic 

Speak Read Speak Read Speak Read Speak Read 

Not at all 0% 1% 2% 5% 57% 68% 54% 66% 

A little 0% 1% 16% 15% 32% 24% 40% 26% 

Some 1% 5% 16% 14% 6% 5% 4% 4% 

Well 98% 93% 66% 66% 4% 3% 3% 3% 
23 

Chapter 4: Labor Force Participation 

HOW U.S. CROP WORKERS SPENT THEIR TIME OVER THE YEAR AND HOW LONG THEY 

EXPECT TO REMAIN IN FARM JOBS 

Summary of Findings 

• Seventy-two percent of the workers had one farm employer in the previous 12 

months. 

• The number of farm workdays in the previous year increased with the number of U.S. 

farm employers and by years of U.S. farm experience. 

• The majority of the workers (72%) said that they expected to continue doing farm 

work for at least five years. 

Number of U.S. Farm Employers in Previous 12 Months 

NAWS interviewers record each respondent’s work and non-work periods for the 12 

months preceding their interview. In 2001-2002, nine out of ten of all crop workers, 

including foreign-born newcomers, reported having worked for one or two U.S. farm 

employers11 in the previous 12 months (fig 4.1). 

2 Farm employers 

18% 

3 Farm employers 

6% 

4 Farm employers 

2% 

5+ Farm employers 

1% 

1 Farm employer

72%

Figure 4.1 Number of U.S. Farm Employers in the Previous 12 Months. Note: Sum of 

portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

 An employer can be either a farm owner or a farm labor contractor. While a worker employed by a farm 

labor contractor may work on more than one farm in a year, their labor contractor is counted as one 

employer. 

11
24 

Measuring Labor Force Participation 

Common employment statistics include the average number of weeks and average 

number of days persons in the labor force were employed over a one-year period. When 

measuring such statistics on the hired crop work force, it is important to recognize the 

relatively large share of crop workers (16%) who were both new to U.S. farm work and 

new to the United States. These are the foreign-born newcomers who were first 

discussed in Chapter 1. As these workers can be interviewed just days after their first 

arrival to the United States, as a group they report fewer days of farm work compared to 

all other workers: in 2001-2002 foreign-born newcomers averaged 90 days of farm work, 

compared to 190 days for other workers. Conversely, foreign-born newcomers spent an 

average of 32 weeks outside of the United States, compared to four weeks for all other 

workers. Because of the recency of their arrival in the United States, foreign-born 

newcomers are excluded from the base of statistics reported in this section. 

Time Employed and Not Employed 

Crop workers were employed on U.S. farms in 2001-2002 an average of 34 and one half 

weeks (66% of the year) and in non-farm activities for a little more than five weeks (10 

percent of the year). They were in the United States but not working for approximately 

eight and a half weeks (16% of the year), and were outside of the United States for nearly 

four weeks (7% of the year) (fig. 4.2). 

Outs

Farm work, 66% 

Non-farm work, 10% 

In the United States, 

not working, 16% 

ide of the United 

States, 7% 

Figure 4.2 Time Employed and Not Employed. (Excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 
25 

Time in farm and non-farm jobs, as well as time outside the United States, varied by legal 

status, place of birth and age.12 U.S. citizens were employed 32 weeks in farm jobs, eight 

weeks in non-farm jobs, were not employed for 12 weeks, and spent less than one week 

outside of the country. Compared to citizens, legal permanent residents were employed 

more weeks in agriculture (35), but only half as many weeks in non-farm employment 

(4). Legal permanent residents were not working for nine weeks while in the United 

States and spent four weeks outside of the country. Unauthorized workers (excluding 

foreign-born newcomers) obtained the most weeks of farm employment (36) 13 and, like 

legal permanent residents, had four weeks of non-farm employment.14 These 

unauthorized workers were not employed for six weeks while in the United States and 

spent the same number of weeks outside of the country (table. 4.1). 

Table 4.1 Weeks of Activity by Legal Status (excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

Unauthorized Legal permanent resident Citizen 

Activity 

Farm work 36 35 32 

Non-farm work 4 4 8 

In U.S. not working 6 9 12 

Outside U.S. 6 4 0 

Excluding foreign-born newcomers, 70 percent of the workers were born in Mexico, 27 

percent in the United States, two percent in Central American countries, and one percent 

of the workers were from other countries. Of these groups, workers from Central 

America were employed the most weeks in U.S. farm jobs. Averaging 40 weeks, they 

worked four more weeks than the Mexico-born workers, who averaged 36, and nine more 

than the U.S.-born, who averaged 31. Workers from Central America experienced the 

fewest weeks not working while in the United States (five vs. seven and 12 for the 

Mexico- and U.S.-born, respectively) and were also outside of the United States for fewer 

weeks than the Mexico-born (two vs. five, respectively). 

The youngest and oldest NAWS respondents were employed the fewest weeks in farm 

jobs and also experienced the most weeks not working while in the United States. 

Fourteen to 17 year-old respondents averaged just 14 weeks of farm work and did not 

work for fully half the year (27 weeks). This same group, however, averaged nearly six 

and a half weeks in non-farm jobs. The next age cohort (18- and 19-year-olds) worked 

29 weeks in farm jobs, six in non-farm jobs, was in the United States but not working for 

14 weeks, and spent less than one week outside of the country. 

12 All weeks reported in this section are the average number of weeks in the preceding 12-month period. 13 Sixty-nine percent of all unauthorized workers first came to the United States more than one year prior to 

the interview. 

14 Unauthorized workers were also more likely than authorized workers to have had more than one farm

employer in the previous year (40% vs. 20%, respectively). 
26 

Workers in all age cohorts between 20 and 64 years had similar distributions of weeks 

employed, not employed, and weeks out of the country. They were employed in farm 

jobs for 34 to 37 weeks, in non-farm jobs for three to seven weeks, were not employed 

while in the United States for seven to nine weeks, and were out of the country for three 

to five weeks. Respondents 65 years and older were employed 32 weeks in farm jobs and 

four weeks in non-farm jobs. This same cohort averaged 14 weeks not working while in 

the United States and three weeks out of the country (table 4.2). 

Table 4.2 Weeks Employed and Not Employed by Age Group 

 (excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

Age Group Total 14-

17 

18-

19 

20-

24 

25-

34 

35-

44 

45-

54 

55-

64 65+ 

Percent of 

Crop Workers 100% 3% 4% 17% 31% 23% 13% 7% 2% 

Activity Weeks 

Farm work 34 14 29 36 35 34 37 36 32 

Non-farm work 5 6 6 5 6 5 5 3 4 

In the United States, not working 9 27 14 8 7 8 7 9 14 

Outside of the United States 4 5 <1 3 4 5 3 4 3 

Note: Sum of weeks is not equal to 52 for all age groups because of rounding. 

Farm Workdays 

Using information recorded in the 12-month retrospective work history collected by the 

NAWS, it is possible to approximate the number of farm workdays each respondent had 

in the preceding year.15 Excluding foreign-born newcomers, crop workers averaged 190 

days of farm employment in the previous 12 months and 77 percent reported having 

worked in agriculture at least 100 days.16 The number of farm workdays, however, 

varied by legal status. Unauthorized workers, excluding foreign-born newcomers, 

averaged 197 days, compared to 185 days for the authorized.17 These unauthorized 

workers were more likely than authorized workers to have worked at least 200 days (58% 

vs. 50%) (fig. 4.3). Among authorized workers, permanent residents reported having 

worked an average of 195 days; citizens reported an average of 175. 

15 The NAWS counts any day in which the respondent worked at least one hour in a farm job as a farm 

workday. Days on which a worker was employed for more than one employer were counted only once. 16 Among all hired crop workers in 2001-2002, including the foreign-born newcomers, the average number 

of farm workdays in the previous 12 months was 174. 

17 Unauthorized foreign-born newcomers worked an average of 90 days in farm jobs. The average number 

of farm workdays performed by all unauthorized workers, including the unauthorized foreign-born 

newcomers, was 165. Ninety-nine percent of the foreign-born newcomers were unauthorized. 
27 

40% 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

36% 

16% 

23% 23% 

18% 

37% 

24% 25% 

34% 

21% 21% 21% 

1-99 100 - 199 200 - 249 250 + 

Number of Days 

All Authorized Unauthorized 

Figure 4.3 Farm Workdays by Legal Status (excluding foreign-born newcomers). 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all categories because of rounding. 

Farm Work Experience 

Excluding foreign-born newcomers18, farm workers interviewed in 2001-2002 had an 

average of 12 years of U.S. farm experience. Nearly half (48%) had worked less than 

eight years in farm jobs. Forty-one percent had worked more than ten. The number of 

years varied by legal status. While 62 percent of the authorized respondents had worked 

more than ten years in farm jobs, only 15 percent of the unauthorized had done so (fig. 

4.4). In 2001-2002, 37 percent of the respondents who had more than ten years of U.S. 

farm work experience had obtained legal status via the Special Agricultural Worker 

provision of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. 

18 As discussed in Chapter 1, foreign-born newcomers comprised 72 percent of all workers who were in 

their first year of U.S. farm employment. 
28 

40% 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

8% 

26% 

18% 

7% 

14% 

18% 

32% 

30% 

12% 

3% 

38% 

24% 

23% 

10% 

37% 

0 - 1 2 - 4 5 - 10 11 - 20 21 + 

Number of Years 

All Authorized Unauthorized 

Figure 4.4 Farm Work Experience by Legal Status (excluding foreign-born 

newcomers). Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all categories because of rounding. 

Farm workdays also increased with the number of employers and years of experience. 

Again excluding the foreign-born newcomers, workers who had one employer averaged 

183 days, while workers with two employers averaged 200 days and those with three or 

more employers averaged 215. Respondents who had less than two years of farm work 

experience (8%) averaged 68 days in farm jobs in the previous 12 months. Workers with 

21 years or more of experience (18%), on the other hand, averaged 219 days (table 4.3). 
29 

Table 4.3 Farm Workdays by Number of U.S. Farm Employers and Years of U.S. 

 Farm Experience (excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

 Percent of Mean 

Crop Workers Farm Workdays 

Number of U.S. Farm Employers 100% ( ) 

1 71% 183 

2 18% 200 

3 + 11% 215 

Years of U.S. Farm Work Reported 100% ( ) 

less than two years 8% 68 

2 - 4 24% 175 

5 - 10 26% 202 

11 - 20 23% 212 

21 + 18% 219 

Note: Sum of portions does not equal 100 percent because of rounding. 

Plans to Remain in Farm Work 

The majority of all crop workers19 (72%) expect to remain in farm jobs more than five 

years.20 Four percent stated that they would continue working in agriculture for less than 

one year; 12 percent said for two to three more years; five percent stated that they would 

continue in agriculture four to five years; and seven percent were unsure. Future plans 

and expectations varied by legal status. A larger share of citizens (21%) expected to 

leave farm work within three years, compared to permanent residents (9%) and 

unauthorized workers (16%). Seventy-nine percent of the permanent residents stated that 

they would continue working in agriculture as long as they were able, compared to 64 

percent of the unauthorized and 57 percent of the citizens. 

When asked if they believed they could obtain a non-farm job within one month, 42 

percent said “no,” 37 percent said “yes,” and seven percent were unsure. Citizens (69%) 

were twice as likely as permanent residents (32%) and nearly three times as likely as 

unauthorized workers (23%) to believe that they could obtain a non-farm job within a 

month. 

19 Foreign-born newcomers are included in this section. 

20 Ninety-one percent of those who said more than five years qualified their response by also conveying 

that they would continue working in agriculture as long as they were able to do the work. 
30
31 

Chapter 5: Farm Job Characteristics 

EMPLOYER TYPE; CROPS AND TASKS; RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION; HOURS AND 

WAGES; BENEFITS 

Summary of Findings 

• The share of workers employed by a farm labor contractor increased by 50 percent 

between the periods 1993-1994 and 2001-2002. 

• Wages increased in both nominal and real terms over the period 1993-2002. 

• Twenty-three percent of farm workers reported having some type of health insurance; 

it was an employment benefit for between eight and 12 percent of the workers. 

Type of Employer 

Nearly four out of five crop workers (79%) were employed directly by growers and 

packing firms; farm labor contractors employed the remaining 21 percent. The share of 

workers who were employed by farm labor contractors increased by 50 between the 

periods 1993-1994 and 2001-2002, from 14 to 21 percent, respectively. 

In 2001-2002, 51 percent of the directly-hired workers were work authorized, down from 

63 percent in 1993-1994. Similarly, 34 percent of the labor-contracted crop workers in 

2001-2002 were authorized, down from 42 percent in 1993-1994 (fig. 5.1). 

63% 

51% 

42% 

34% 

37% 

49% 

58% 

66% 

1993-1994 2001-2002 1993-1994 2001-2002

Directly Hired Labor-contracted 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

Employment Type 

Author zed Crop Workers Unauthor zed Crop Workers i i

Figure 5.1 Legal Status by Employment Type: 1993-1994 and 2001-2002 compared. 
32 

Crop and Task of Farm Jobs 

At the time of the interview, 33 percent of all crop workers held jobs in fruit and nut 

crops. Thirty-one percent worked in vegetable crops, 18 percent in horticultural crops, 13 

percent in field crops, and four percent reported working in an unclassified or 

‘miscellaneous’ crop (table 5.1). 

Table 5.1 Primary Crop at Current Farm Job 

Primary Percentage of 

Crop Type Hired Crop Workers 

Total 100% 

Fruit & nut 34% 

Vegetable 31% 

Horticultural 18% 

Field 14% 

Miscellaneous 4% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

Workers engaged in fruit & nut, and vegetable crops were more likely than workers 

involved with other crops to be employed by farm labor contractors (table 5.2). 

Table 5.2 Primary Crop by Employment Type 

Primary Employment Type 

Directly- LaborCrop Type Total hired contracted 

Fruit & nut 100% 62% 38% 

Vegetable 100% 78% 22% 

Horticultural 100% 99% 2% 

Field 100% 92% 8% 

Miscellaneous 100% 97% 3% 

Note: Sum of portions may not be equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

Taking a crop from field to market encompasses a wide variety of tasks that hired crop 

workers perform. In 2001-2002, at the time of their interview, 16 percent of the workers 

were performing pre-harvest tasks, such as hoeing, thinning, and transplanting, 30 
33 

percent were doing harvest tasks, and nine percent were involved in post-harvest 

activities, such as field packing, sorting, and grading. Seventeen percent of the crop 

workers were performing technical production tasks, such as pruning, irrigating, and 

operating machinery21 (table 5.3). 

Table 5.3 Primary Task at Current Farm Job 

Percentage of 

Primary Task Type Hired Crop Workers 

100% 

16% 

30% 

9% 

17% 

27% 

Total 

Pre-harvest 

Harvest 

Post-harvest 

Technical Production 

Other 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

Workers performing pre-harvest, harvest, and technical-production tasks were more 

likely than those performing post-harvest and ‘other’ tasks to be employed by a labor 

contractor (table 5.4).22 

Table 5.4 Primary Task by Employment Type 

Primary Employment Type 

Directly- LaborTask Type Total hired contracted 

Pre-harvest 100% 72% 28% 

Harvest 100% 70% 30% 

Post-harvest 100% 94% 6% 

Technical 

Production 100% 70% 30% 

Other 100% 94% 6% 

21 Twenty-seven percent of the workers performed a task that was classified as ‘other’. Over half of the 

respondents (54%) who were performing an ‘other’ task at the time of the interview were employed in a 

horticultural crop, e.g., in a greenhouse, and it is likely that many of the tasks could be classified as 

technical production. Tasks are being reviewed to determine how best to categorize them. 

22 Previous summaries of NAWS findings reported the share of workers who performed supervisory tasks. 

While such workers continue to qualify to participate in the survey if they also work directly with crops, 

they comprised less than one percent of all workers interviewed in fiscal years 2001-2002 and are therefore 

not reported here. 
34 

Compared to all other workers in 2001-2002, foreign-born newcomers were more likely 

to be employed by farm labor contractors, working in a vegetable crop, and engaged in 

either a pre-harvest or harvest activity (table. 5.5). 

Table 5.5 Job Characteristics: Foreign-born Newcomers and All Other Workers 

Foreign-born 

Newcomers All Other Workers 

Percent of Crop Worker 16% 84% 

Population 

Total 100% 100% 

Employed by FLC 30% 19% 

Directly-hired 70% 81% 

Primary Crop 100% 100% 

Fruit & nut 35% 33% 

Vegetable 43% 28% 

Horticultural 12% 19% 

Field 7% 15% 

Miscellaneous 3% 4% 

Primary Task 100% 100% 

Pre-harvest 27% 14% 

Harvest 37% 29% 

Post-harvest 6% 10% 

Technical production 11% 18% 

Other 19% 29% 

Recruitment and Retention 

The majority of crop workers (69%) initially found their current job via references from 

friends or relatives, and a little more than a quarter (26%) had applied on their own. 

Three percent were recruited by a grower, foreman, or labor contractor. Less than one 

percent each were referred to their job by an employment service or were hired under 

union-employer agreements. While respondents are not asked how long it takes to find a 

U.S. farm job, retrospective employment and migration information reveals that 82 

percent of the foreign-born crop workers obtained a farm job the same year they first 

entered the United States. 
35 

In 2001-2002, crop workers, including foreign-born newcomers, had been employed with 

their current farm employer an average of nearly four and a half years. Thirty-five 

percent had been working for their current employer for one year or less, and 13 percent Percentage of Crop Workers 

had been employed at their current farm job for ten or more years (fig. 5.2).23 

40% 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

One or less 2 - 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 - 9 10 + 

7% 

4% 

13% 13% 

28% 

35% 

Years Working for Current Farm Employer 

Figure 5.2 Number of Years Working for Current Farm Employer. 

The majority of workers (60%) said that their current job was seasonal; 25 percent said 

they worked year-round with their current employer and 15 percent were unsure . 

Among those who had been with their current employer for one year or less, 42 percent 

did not know if their farm job would be year-round or seasonal. Workers employed by 

farm labor contractors were more likely (72%) than those hired directly by growers and 

packing houses (57%) to say that their current job was seasonal. Although the likelihood 

of working year-round increased as the number of years with the current employer 

increased, nearly half (45%) of those who had worked at least ten years for their current 

employer reported being employed seasonally (fig. 5.3). 

23 Any employment in the year qualifies as one year. 
36 

80% 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

47% 

75% 74% 74% 

67% 69% 

65% 

45% 

23% 

25% 

35% 

75% 

55% 

49% 

11% 

26% 26% 

33% 31% 

51% 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 

Years with Current Farm Employer 

Seasonal Year-round 

Figure 5.3 Seasonality of Employment by Years with Current Farm Employer. 

Among those who knew that their current job was seasonal, slightly more than two-thirds 

(68%) said that their employer notifies them when work is to resume. Notification 

methods included being personally contacted by a foreman or other agent (35%), 

telephoning (24%), being verbally advised by the employer at the end of the season 

(14%), receiving written correspondence (1%), and by other methods (3%).24 

Hours Worked and Basis for Pay 

NAWS respondents are asked how many hours they worked in the previous week at their 

current farm job. In 2001-2002, the average was 42 hours, compared to 38 in 1993-1994. 

In 2001-2002, approximately one quarter each worked less than 35 hours, between 35 

and 40, 41 and 49, and 50 hours or more. 

Agricultural employers’ labor needs vary by season, crop and task, and workers are 

sometimes needed for longer than normal hours over short periods of time. NAWS data 

reflect the fluctuating nature of labor use. For example, workers performing skilled 

production tasks in field crops, such as preparing fields for cultivation, and irrigating, 

averaged 53 hours per week. Workers harvesting fruit and nut crops, on the other hand, 

averaged 40 hours per week. Hours worked also varied by payment type. Overall, 

Workers who said that they were informed about work with their current employer via ‘other’ methods 

included those who responded to a newspaper advertisement, lived at the work site, and those, who by 

custom, knew when it was time to report back to work. 

24 
37 

workers paid an hourly wage averaged 43 hours per week, while workers paid by the 

piece averaged 36.25 

Average hours worked in the previous week also varied by age, gender, and U.S. farm 

work experience. Not surprisingly, respondents ages 14 to 17 worked the fewest hours 

per week, averaging 36, compared to 43 for all other workers. Workers ages 45 to 54 

averaged the most, at 45 hours. Males averaged 43 hours per week, compared to 39 for 

females. Respondents with more than 12 years of U.S. farm work experience averaged 

46 hours, compared to 40 hours for those with less than four years, and 43 for those with 

between five and 12 years. 

Seventy-nine percent of the workers reported being paid by the hour, 16 percent by the 

piece, three percent by a combination of hourly and piece rate pay, and two percent by 

salary. How workers were paid varied by crop and task. Overall, nearly a third (32%) of 

the workers who were employed in fruit and nut crops were paid a piece rate, compared 

to eight percent for workers employed in all other crops (field, vegetable, horticulture, 

and miscellaneous) (table 5.6). Likewise, while 43 percent of those who performed 

harvesting tasks were paid by the piece, only five percent of the workers who performed 

all other tasks (pre-harvest, post-harvest, technical production, and ‘other’) so reported 

(table 5.7). 

Thirty-two percent of the labor-contracted workers were paid by the piece, compared to 

12 percent of the directly hired workers. This difference, however, might be largely 

attributed to the crops and tasks performed by labor-contracted workers at the time of the 

interview: 61 percent were working in fruit and nut crops; 44 percent were doing harvest 

tasks. When performing the same task on the same type of crop, basis for pay did not 

differ between directly hired and labor-contracted workers: 56 percent of those who 

harvested fruit and nut crops while employed by a labor contractor were paid by the 

piece, compared to 59 percent of the respondents who did the same work but who were 

directly hired. 

These differences persist when controlling for crop and task categories. For example, workers who 

harvested fruit and nut crops and who were paid an hourly wage averaged 46 hours per week, compared to 

35 hours for workers who did the same work but were paid by the piece. 

25 
38 

Table 5.6 Basis for Pay by Crop Type 

Basis for Pay 

Primary Crop Total Hourly Piece rate Combination Salary 

Fruit & nut 100% 61% 

Vegetable 100% 83% 

Horticulture 100% 97% 

Field 100% 83% 

Miscellaneous 100% 99% 

32% 5% 1% 

13% 2% 2% 

1% 0% 2% 

7% 2% 8% 

0% 1% 0% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all crops because of rounding. 

Table 5.7 Basis for Pay by Task Type 

Basis for Pay 

Primary Task Total Hourly Piece rate Combination Salary 

Pre-harvest 100% 96% 

Harvest 100% 49% 

Post-harvest 100% 96% 

Technical Production 100% 84% 

Other 100% 94% 

3% 0% 1% 

43% 8% 1% 

2% 1% 0% 

13% 0% 4% 

0% 0% 6% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all tasks because of rounding. 

Wages 

Farm workers were paid an average of $7.25 an hour in fiscal years 2001-2002, compared 

to $5.52 in 1993-1994.26 Nineteen percent were paid less than $6 per hour; 27 percent 

were paid between $6 and $6.74; 29 percent were paid between $6.75 and $7.99; and 25 

percent were paid $8 per hour or more. 

Wages varied by type of pay, i.e., by the hour or piece rate, whether employed seasonally 

or year-round, years with current employer, and task (table. 5.8). When paid a straight 

hourly wage, workers earned an average of $6.84 per hour; when paid strictly by the 

piece, they averaged $8.27 per hour. Year-round workers averaged nearly a dollar more 

per hour than seasonal workers. Among all workers, those who had worked at least six 

26 To construct an average hourly wage, piece rate and combination wages were converted to an hourly 

basis and then averaged with the wages of workers who were paid by the hour. 
39 

years with their current employer averaged $8.05 per hour, compared to $6.76 for those 

who had been with their employer for one year or less. By task, respondents whose work 

was classified as ‘other’ earned the highest average wage ($7.56). Workers who 

performed harvest and technical production tasks had similar average hourly earnings 

($7.47 and $7.40, respectively). The relatively high average wage earned by harvest 

workers reflects piece rate wages. When paid strictly by the piece, harvest workers 

averaged $8.10 per hour. 

Table 5.8 Average Hourly Earnings 

Category Earnings 

Overall $7.25 

By the hour $6.84 

By the piece (converted to hourly) $8.27 

By Seasonality 

Seasonal $6.96 

Year-round $7.87 

By Years with Employer 

up to 1 $6.76 

2 to 3 $7.14 

4 to 5 $7.38 

6 + $8.05 

By Task 

Pre-harvest $6.54 

Harvest $7.47 

Post-harvest $6.59 

Technical production $7.40 

Other $7.56 

Average hourly earnings increased by 25 percent in nominal dollars and by nine percent 

in inflation-adjusted (real) dollars over the ten-year period (single calendar years) 1993-

2002 (table 5.9).27 The increases, however, were not steady. Real hourly earnings 

declined between 1993 and 1996, and fell again slightly between 2000 and 2001 (fig. 

5.4). 

27 Average hourly wages in all other sections of the report are based on fiscal years 2001-2002: October 1, 

2000 - September 30, 2002. 
40 

Table 5.9 Average Hourly Wages of Crop Workers, 

Nominal and Real (2002) Dollars, Calendar Years 1993-2002 

Nominal Real* 

Year Wage 2002 Dollars 

1993 $5.46 $6.69 

1994 5.54 6.65 

1995 5.72 6.70 

1996 5.69 6.49 

1997 5.81 6.49 

1998 6.40 7.05 

1999 6.54 7.06 

2000 7.00 7.31 

2001 7.11 7.22 

2002** 7.30 7.30 

* Real dollars are based on the CPI-U-RS deflator, http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpiurstx.htm 

** The average hourly wage for 2002 is based on data from January to September. Average Wage 

7.50 

7.00 

6.50 

6.00 

5.50 

5.00 

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 

Year 

Nom Real inal

Figure 5.4 Crop Workers’ Average Hourly Wages, 

Nominal and Real (2002 Dollars), Calendar Years 1993-2002. 
41 

Monetary Bonuses and Insurance Benefits 

Twenty-two percent of crop workers said that their current farm employer gave a cash 

bonus as part of the compensation package; 65 percent said the employer did not, and 13 

percent did not know.28 Of the 22 percent who said that a bonus was given, 51 percent 

identified it as a holiday bonus, 32 percent as an end-of-season payment, 12 percent as an 

incentive award, five percent as a bonus contingent on employer profits, and one percent 

as a transportation stipend.29 

Receiving a monetary bonus varied by seasonality of employment and employer type. 

Among year-round workers, 47 percent said that bonuses were given, compared to 14 

percent of those who were employed seasonally. Workers who were directly hired by 

growers or packing houses were more likely (27%) than those who were employed by 

farm labor contractors (2%) to say that bonuses were given. 

Although the majority of NAWS respondents are selected while working for employers 

with tax payment records in the unemployment insurance (UI) system database, only 39 

percent of the workers interviewed in fiscal years 2001-2002 said they would receive UI 

benefits should they lose their job. Fifty-four percent reported that they would not 

receive benefits should they lose their job and eight percent did not know.30 Of the 54 

percent who reported that they would not receive UI benefits, 87 percent were 

unauthorized and would not qualify for the benefit even if the employer paid into the 

system. Workers who were employment eligible were much more likely (76%) than 

those who were not (4%) to report that they would receive UI benefits should they lose 

their job. 

A larger share of workers (48%) reported that they would be covered by workers’ 

compensation for a work-related illness or injury; 20 percent said they would not be 

covered, and 31 percent did not know.31 Unauthorized workers were half as likely (33%) 

as authorized workers (65%) to report being covered and were twice as likely (41%) as 

authorized workers (20%) not to know if they were covered. 

In the NAWS, crop workers are asked several questions about health insurance and their 

responses indicate that 1) twenty-three percent were covered by some type of health 

28 Among those who did not know, 93 percent had been with their present employer for less than one year. 

29 Multiple responses were permitted. Five percent identified an ‘other’ type of bonus. 

30 Unemployment insurance coverage varies by state. In the majority of states, employers of agricultural 

labor are required to pay unemployment insurance taxes if they have ten or more workers (on at least one 

day in each of 20 different weeks in the current or immediately preceding calendar year), or exceed a 

minimum payroll size ($20,000 in the current or preceding calendar quarter) 

http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/comparison2002.asp 

Agricultural workers are concentrated on farms with more than 10 workers. (U.S. Department of Labor 

Report to Congress. The Agricultural Labor Market–Status and Recommendations. December 2000.) 

31 Agricultural workers are covered by workers’ compensation in varying degrees in 40 jurisdictions. In 14, 

they are covered the same as all other employees. Twenty-six jurisdictions carry limitations that are not 

applicable to other covered employees, and 13 jurisdictions allow agricultural employers to secure 

coverage for their workers voluntarily. http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/owcp/stwclaw/tables-pdf/table3.pdf 
42 

insurance in 2001-2002, and 2) the insurance was an employment benefit for between 

eight and 12 percent of the workers.32 

Near the beginning of the interview, the respondent is asked if he/she has health 

insurance and, if so, who pays for it.33 In 2001-2002, 23 percent reported that they were 

insured. Among these insured crop workers, the largest share (46%) said that their 

current farm employer paid for it; 19 percent said the government provided it; 15 percent 

reported that either they or their spouse paid for all of the insurance; 12 percent said they 

were covered under their spouse’s employer’s plan; and seven percent identified an 

“other” coverage source.34 

Later in the interview, respondents are asked if their current farm employer provides 

insurance or pays for medical treatment for a non work-related illness or injury, 

regardless of whether or not the worker accepts or uses the insurance or assistance. In 

2001-2002, eight percent reported that their employer offered such a benefit; 77 percent 

said their employer did not offer it, and 15 percent did not know. 

Year-round workers were more likely than seasonal workers to have reported being 

covered by unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation, and to say that their 

current farm employer either offered or provided health insurance or assistance for a nonwork related illness or injury (table 5.10). 

Table 5.10 Insurance Benefits: Overall and by Seasonality, with 

Current Farm Employer 

Percent of Crop Workers Reporting Coverage by: 

Unemployment Workers' Employer 

Category Insurance Compensation Health Plan 

Overall 39% 48% 8% 

By Seasonality 

Seasonal 39% 47% 5% 

Year-round 55% 62% 15% 

32 While the NAWS also obtains health insurance information for family members (spouse and children), 

only health insurance coverage for the farm worker respondent is reported here. 

33 Unlike the subsequent health insurance question, this one is not asked in the context of the current farm 

job. 

34 Among those who answered “other,” 82 percent identified a parent’s medical plan; seven percent said 

that they and their employer shared the cost of the premium; and ten percent identified a variety of other 

sources, such as “clinic,” “church,” “university,” and “other employer.” Based on the combined responses 

to the question “Who pays for the insurance?”, 12 percent of the workers had health insurance while 

working for their current farm employer, either outright (the vast majority), or on a shared-cost basis. 
43 

Housing 

NAWS respondents are asked about their housing situation (arrangement, location, type, 

and occupancy), while they are working at their current farm job. For settled (nonmigrant) workers, the information likely reflects the workers’ housing situation for the 

whole year. For those migrants who live in more than one place in a year, the 

information is only partial, and most often reflects “on-the-road” rather than “home-base” 

housing. 

In 2001-2002, 58 percent of farm workers lived in housing that they rented from someone 

other than their employer. Twenty-one percent lived in housing that was supplied by 

their employer (17 percent received it free of charge and four percent paid rent either 

directly or via payroll deduction); 19 percent lived in housing that either they or a family 

member owned; and two percent lived, free of charge, with family or friends. Compared 

to 2001-2002, a larger share of workers in 1993-1994 lived in employer-supplied housing 

(33%), while a smaller share (43%), rented from a non-employer. 

Migrant workers were more likely than settled workers to live in employer-supplied 

housing, and were less likely than settled workers to live in housing that either they or a 

family member owned (table. 5.11). 

Table 5.11 Housing Arrangement, by Worker Type 

Housing Arrangement Total Migrant Settled 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Rents from non-employer 58% 61% 56% 

Employer provides for free 17% 27% 8% 

Rents from employer 4% 6% 2% 

Worker or worker's family owns 19% 4% 30% 

Stays free of charge with family or friend 2% 1% 3% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all categories because of rounding. 

In 2001-2002, 14 percent of crop workers reported living on the farm where they worked 

compared to 24 percent in 1993-1994. Six percent of the workers in 2001-2002 lived in 

employer-supplied housing that was located off the farm, and 80 percent lived in nonemployer housing off the farm. Migrant workers were more likely (22%) than settled 

workers (8%) to have reported living on the farm where they worked (table 5.12). 
44 

Table 5.12 Housing Location, by Worker Type 

Housing Location Total Migrant Settled 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Off-farm, non-employer administered 80% 68% 89% 

Off-farm, employer administered 6% 10% 3% 

On farm 14% 22% 8% 

In 2001-2002, a little more than half of all crop workers (55%) reported living in some 

type of single family home or unit; 22 percent lived in an apartment; and 16 percent lived 

in a trailer or mobile home. The remaining seven percent lived in various other types of 

housing: three percent in dormitory or barracks type housing; two percent in a duplex or 

other conjoined multifamily structure; one percent in a motel or hotel; and one percent in 

an ‘other’ type of housing. 

As with housing arrangement and location, migrant and settled workers differed 

regarding their housing types. Although migrants were as likely as settled workers to live 

in a trailer or mobile home (17% and 16%, respectively), they were more likely to live in 

dormitory or barracks type housing (6% vs. 1%) and apartments (26% vs. 20%), and 

were less likely than settled workers to live in a single family home or unit (47% vs. 

60%) (table 5.13). 

Table 5.13 Housing Type, by Worker Type 

Housing Type Total Migrant Settled 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Single family home or unit 55% 47% 60% 

Apartment 22% 26% 20% 

Trailer or mobile home 16% 17% 16% 

Dormitory or barracks 3% 6% 1% 

Duplex / conjoined multifamily structure 2% 3% 2% 

Motel / hotel 1% 1% <1% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all categories because of rounding. 
45 

Worksite Availability of Water and Toilets 

Since Fiscal Year 1999, as part of an occupational safety and health supplement, all 

NAWS respondents have been asked if their current farm employer provides the 

following items at the worksite every day: 1) drinking water and cups, 2) water for 

washing, and 3) a toilet. Some improvement in the provision of such facilities was 

realized between the periods 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 (table 5.14). In both periods, the 

majority of farm workers reported that their employer provided these items every day. 

Nonetheless, in 2001-2002 significant shares of farm workers reported that their 

employer did not provide, on a daily basis, both drinking water and cups (20%), water for 

washing (5%), and a toilet (7%). 

Table 5.14 Worksite Availability of Water and Toilets 

Percent of Workers Reporting 

Item is Available Daily 

Item 1999-2000 2001-2002 

Drinking water and cups 78% 80% 

Water for washing 92% 95% 

Toilet 92% 93% 

Distance to Work and Transportation 

In 2001-2002, 11 percent of farm workers lived where they worked; 40 percent lived less 

than nine miles from their current farm job; 41 percent between 10 and 24 miles; seven 

percent between 25 and 49 miles; and one percent lived 50 miles or more from work. 

Farm workers used various modes of transportation to get to work. The largest share 

(42%) drove a car, while 35 percent rode with others and eight percent walked. The 

remaining 15 percent were those who either rode a labor bus (8%) or got to work by 

riding with a paid driver, or “raitero” 35 (7%). Among the 15 percent who either rode a 

labor bus or went with a “raitero,” 14 percent reported that they were obligated to use that 

means of transportation. Among those who rode with others, took the labor bus, or went 

with a “raitero” (50% of all workers), 71 percent paid money to someone to get to work. 

Foreign-born newcomers were more likely than all other workers to get to work by either 

riding with someone else, going on a labor bus, or using a “raitero” (table 5.15). 

35 “Raitero”, derived from “ride”, is the Spanish word for a person who charges a fee for providing a ride to 

work. 
46 

Table 5.15 Transportation to Work, by Worker Type 

Transportation Mode Total Foreign-born 

Newcomers 

All Other 

Workers 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Drives car 42% 3% 50% 

Walks 8% 9% 8% 

Rides in car with others 35% 60% 30% 

Labor bus 8% 10% 7% 

"Raitero" 7% 17% 5% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent for all worker types because of rounding. 

Tools and Equipment 

Most hired crop workers in 2001-2002 (96%) utilized tools or equipment at work. For 

the majority of workers who used tools or equipment, the employer paid all the costs 

associated with their use. Workers employed by farm labor contractors were more likely 

(19%) than directly hired workers (10%) to have paid all the cost for the tools and 

equipment they used (table 5.16).36 

Table 5.16 Payment for Tools and Equipment, by Employment Type 

Tools and Equipment Employment Type 

Paid for by Total Directly-hired Labor-contracted 

Total 100% 100% 100% 

Worker 12% 10% 19% 

Employer 84% 86% 77% 

Both 3% 3% 2% 

Note: Sum of portions is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding. 

36 One percent each of labor-contracted workers reported that a) they had to pay for the equipment or tools 

only when they break, and b) that a friend or family member paid for all or part of the cost. 
47 

Chapter 6: Income, Assets, and Use of Public Programs 

INDIVIDUAL and FAMILY INCOME; ASSETS in the UNITED STATES and FOREIGN COUNTRY; 

PAYMENTS from CONTRIBUTION-BASED PROGRAMS; ASSISTANCE from NEEDS-BASED 

PROGRAMS 

Summary of Findings 

• Thirty percent of all farm workers had family incomes below the poverty guidelines. 

• Twenty percent of all farm workers either owned or were buying a home in the 

United States. 

• Twenty-two percent of all farm workers said that they or someone in their household 

had received some form of public assistance in the previous two years. 

Income 

NAWS respondents are asked three questions about U.S. income in the previous calendar 

year: what their individual income was from all sources; how much they made from farm 

work; and what the total family income was. For each question, the respondent is asked 

to indicate the range category that includes his/her income, rather than provide a specific 

sum. As such, average and median income ranges are reported. 

For the two calendar-year period 2000-2001,37 the average individual income range from 

all sources, as well as from farm work only, was $10,000 - $12,499 (fig. 6.1). The 

average total family income range was $15,000 - $17,499.38 Based on the poverty 

guidelines that are issued each February by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, and which are based on family size, 30 percent of all farm workers had total 

family incomes that were below the poverty guidelines.39 

37 The interviews were conducted in fiscal years 2001-2002 but the responses here are based on income in 

calendar years 2001-2002. Twenty percent reported not working in the United States in the previous 

calendar year. The median individual income range, from all sources, was also $10,000 - $12,499. 38 The median total family income range was $12,500-$14,499. 

39 Poverty in this analysis requires that the entire NAWS range containing the worker’s family income fall 

below the poverty guideline for appropriate family size. NAWS family size in this analysis is defined as all 

family members of the farm worker who are living in the United States and who depend on the farm 

worker’s income. Poverty status is calculated using the federal poverty guidelines that correspond to the 

calendar year in which the farm workers were interviewed. 
48 

2% 

4% 

7% 

11% 

14 % 

15% 

9% 

7% 

6% 

4% 

3% 

19 % 

0% 

2% 

4% 

6% 

8% 

10% 

12% 

14% 

16% 

18% 

20% 

Percentage of Crop Workers 

$0 - $999 

$1,000-$2,499 

$2,500-$4,999 

$5,000-$7,499 

$7,500-$9,999 

$12,500-$14,999 

$15,000-$17,499 

$20,000-$24,999 

$25,000-$29,999 

$30,000 + 

$10,000-$12,499

$17,500-$19,999

Income Range 

Figure 6.1 U.S. Individual Income from All Sources. Note: Sum of portions does not equal 

100 percent because of rounding. 

In families of three or more, the likelihood of total family income being below the 

poverty guidelines increased with family size. Families of six were more than twice as 

likely to be living in poverty (50%) than were families of three (22%) (table 6.1). 

Married crop workers without children were less likely (14%) to be living in poverty than 

were parents (36%) or single workers (29%). 

Table 6.1 Family Incomes Below Poverty, By Family Size 

Percent of Family 

Family Size Percent of Workers in Sample* Type in Poverty 

Total 100% ( ) 

1 25% 26% 

2 17% 16% 

3 18% 22% 

4 19% 39% 

5 11% 37% 

6 5% 50% 

7+ 4% 61% 

*Note: Sum of portions does not equal 100 percent because of rounding. 
49 

Assets 

NAWS respondents are asked about assets they own or are buying in the United States 

and, if foreign-born, in their home country. In 2001-2002, nearly three quarters (74%) of Percentage of Crop Workers 

all farm workers stated that they owned or were buying at least one asset either in the 

United States or in their home country. The most commonly held asset in the United 

States was a car or truck (49%), followed by a home (17%), land (4%), and mobile home 

(3%). U.S.-born workers were more likely (38%) to own or be buying a home in the 

United States than were foreign-born workers (11%) (fig. 6.2). 

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 

Moblie Home Land Home Car or Truck 

2% 

11% 

41% 

6% 

38% 

3% 4% 

49% 

2% 

11% 

75% 

17% 

Asset 

Fore gn-born i U.S-born All Workers 

Figure 6.2 Farm Workers’ Assets in the United States. 

Foreign-born workers were more likely to own or be buying a home (43%) than either 

land (7%) or a car or truck (3%) in their native country (fig. 6.3). As a group, foreignborn international shuttle and international follow-the-crop migrants, i.e., those who 

traveled back and forth between the United States and a foreign country in the previous 

twelve months, were more likely to own or be buying land in their native country (22%) 

than were the foreign-born newcomers (5%) or foreign-born settled workers (6%).40 

40 Four percent of the international migrants (international shuttle and international follow-the-crop) 

reported owning or buying a home (3%) or mobile home (1%) in the United States. Twenty-three percent 

of this group reported owning or buying a car or truck in the United States. 
50 

60% 

Percentage of Foreign-born 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

0% 

5% 

52% 

1% 2% 

54% 

1% 

6% 

2% 

0% 

7% 

3% 

22% 

11% 

33% 

43% 

Mobile Home Land Home Car or Truck 

Asset 

Newcomer Internat ona (back-and-forth grant i l ) Mi Settled All Foreign-born 

Figure 6.3 Foreign-born Workers’ Assets in Foreign Country. 

Contribution- and Needs-Based Programs 

NAWS respondents are asked if they or anyone in their household received benefits from 

either contribution- or needs-based programs in the two-year period preceding the 

interview. Twenty-four percent of the crop workers reported that their household had 

received a benefit from a contribution-based program. The most common contributionbased benefit was unemployment insurance (21%), followed by social security (2%), and 

disability insurance (1%) (table 6.2). 

Table 6.2 Households Receiving Payments from Contribution-Based Programs 

Percent of Farm Worker 

Contribution-Based Households 

Program Receiving Payments 

Unemployment Insurance 21% 

Social Security 2% 

Disability Insurance 1% 
51 

Needs-based benefits include financial assistance through programs such as temporary 

assistance to needy families (TANF), general assistance or welfare, and publicly provided 

housing or medical and nutritional assistance, such as Medicaid, Women, Infants and 

Children (WIC), and Food Stamps. In 2001-2002, 22 percent of the respondents said that 

they or someone in their household had used at least one type of public assistance 

program in the previous two years. The most common was Medicaid (15%), followed by 

WIC (11%) and Food Stamps (8%) (table 6.3). Less than one percent reported that they 

or someone in their family had received general assistance or TANF. 

Table 6.3 Households Receiving Benefits from Needs-Based Programs 

Percent of Farm Worker 

Needs-Based Households 

Program Receiving Benefits 

Medicaid 15% 

WIC 11% 

Food Stamps 8% 

Public Housing 1% 
52
53 

Appendix A: Statistical Procedures 

This section describes the statistical procedures used to analyze NAWS data for this 

report. Further details on the statistical procedures can be obtained from the NAWS Web 

site at http://www.dol.gov.dol/asp/programs/agworker/naws.htm 

NAWS Weighting Procedure 

The NAWS sample is drawn with probabilities-proportional-to-size (PPS) and is 

designed to be self-weighting. According to the sample design, each worker has, in 

theory, an equal chance of being selected for an interview on any given day. Data 

limitations, however, make this design difficult to achieve in practice. For example, there 

is no accurate measure of the number of workers at any given farm for the weeks of data 

collection. This and other small deviations from the sampling plan make it necessary to 

implement post-sampling weights. A description of the five post-sampling weights 

(week, region, cycle, year, and season) and how they are used can be obtained from the 

NAWS Web site (see URL above). 

Determining the Confidence Intervals 

A confidence interval is an estimated range of values with a given probability of covering 

the true population value. This section provides information necessary for calculating 

confidence intervals associated with the reported figures. 

For categorical variables (e.g., gender, ethnicity, legal status), the proportion or 

percentage of workers falling into any defined category is reported. The confidence 

intervals around the reported survey findings are based on a normal approximation to the 

binomial distribution. This method implies that, with a 95 percent confidence interval, 

reported figures vary at most four percentage points from the true value. Hence, for 

example, if 75 percent of the crop workers in the sample are reported within a given 

category, there is 95 percent confidence that between 71 and 79 percent of crop workers 

in the overall population actually fall within that category. 

For continuous variables (e.g., age, years of schooling, wage rate), measures of central 

tendency, such as averages or medians, are generally presented. Confidence intervals for 

the averages of continuous variables are based on standard errors, which provide a 

measure of variability of an average value obtained through repeated random sampling 

from the same population. A small standard error characterizes an average that varies 

little from sample to sample, while a large standard error indicates greater variance. 

Boundaries of a 95 percent confidence interval around any sample average are calculated 

by respectively adding and subtracting from the average roughly three times the standard 

error. For example, for a variable with a reported sample average of 31 and a standard 

error of 1, we are 95 percent confident that the true population average is no less than 28 

or more than 34. 

Table A.1 presents the means, standard errors and confidence intervals for the continuous 

variables in this report. 
54 

Table A.1. Confidence Intervals for Continuous Variables 

Variable Mean Standard 

Error 

95% 

Confidence 

Level 

Age 33.08 0.70 31.67 34.48 

Highest Grade 7.26 0.21 6.85 7.67 

Hours of Work per Week 42.31 0.76 40.78 43.84 

Farm Work Days 174.05 5.31 163.38 184.71 

Number of Children in Household 0.65 0.05 0.54 0.75 

Non-Farm Wage (hourly) $7.41 0.35 6.69 8.12 

Farm Wage (hourly) $7.25 0.13 6.98 7.52 

Weeks Outside U.S., Last 12 Months (non-newcomers) 3.73 0.33 3.07 4.39 

Non-Farm Work Weeks, Last 12 Months (non-newcomers) 5.17 0.64 3.88 6.46 

Weeks in U.S. Not Working, Last 12 Months (non-newcomers) 8.56 0.52 7.53 9.60 

Farm Work Weeks, Last 12 Months (non-newcomers) 34.45 0.88 32.69 36.21 

Years Doing Farm Work (in the United States) 10.32 0.69 8.93 11.71 

Years in the United States (foreign-born only) 9.87 0.70 8.46 11.27 
55 

Appendix B: Index of Means and Percentages of Key Variables 

Note: Sum of all portions may not equal 100 percent because of rounding. 

Chapter 1 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Place of Birth 100%

 Mexico 75% 

United States (including Puerto Rico) 23%

 Central America 2%

 Other Country 1% 

Mexico Sending Region States in Region 100%

 Agricultural Northwest Baja California, Sinaloa, 

Sonora 7%

 Northwest Chihuahua, Coahuila 2%

 Northeast Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas 8%

 Core North Central Durango, Zacatecas, 

Aguascalientes 4%

 Core Northeast San Luis Potosi, 

Queretaro, Hidalgo 8% 

Pacific Central Nayarit, Colima 3%

 West Central Guanajuato, Jalisco, 

Michoacan 46% 

Urban Federal District Estado de Mexico, 

Mexico Distrito Federal 3%

 Pacific South Guerrero, Oaxaca, 

Chiapas 11%

 Gulf 

Yucatan, Campeche, 

Tabasco, Puebla, 

Tlaxcala, Morelos, 

Veracruz, Quintana Roo 

9% 

Ethnicity 100%

 Mexican American 7%

 Mexican 72%

 Chicano 1%

 Other Hispanic 3% 

Not Hispanic or Latino 16% 

Race 100%

 White 41% 

Black or African American 4% 

American Indian / Alaskan Native / Indigenous 8%

 Asian <1% 

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander <1% 

Other 47% 
56

Chapter 1 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Foreign-born Workers: 100% 

Years Passed Since First U.S. Arrival 

<1 22% 

1 – 2 11% 

3 – 4 9% 

5 – 9 16% 

10 – 14 13%

 15 + 29% 

Foreign-born Workers: 

Years Passed Since First U.S. Arrival, by Place of Birth 

 Mexico 10

 Central America 5 

Foreign-born Newcomers: 

Share Among All Crop Workers 16% 

Employment Eligibility (All Workers) 100%

 Work authorized 47%

 Citizens 25%

 Legal permanent residents 21%

 Other 1%

 Unauthorized 53% 

Migrant Types 100% 

Settled (non migrant) 58%

 Migrant 42%

 Foreign-born newcomer 16%

 International shuttle 13%

 International follow-the-crop 2%

 Domestic shuttle 6%

 Domestic follow-the-crop 6% 
57

Chapter 2 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Gender is Male 79% 

Age 33 

Age cohorts 100% 

14 – 17 6% 

18 – 19 5% 

20 – 24 20% 

25 – 34 30% 

35 – 44 20% 

45 – 54 12% 

55 – 64 6%

 65 + 1% 

Age by Demographic Characteristics 

All Crop Workers 33

 Foreign-born 

 All Foreign-born 32

 Authorized Foreign-born 40

 Unauthorized Foreign-born 28

 Newcomers 24 

Arrived more than year ago 34

 Born in Mexico 32 

Born in Central American country 28 

U.S.-born 

All U.S.-born 36 

African American 43 

White 36 

Hispanic 33 

Family Type 100%

 Married parent 45% 

Married, no children 12%

 Unmarried parent 6% 

Single, no children 37% 

Number of Children of Parent Respondents

 Average 2 
58

Chapter 2 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Number of children 100% 

1 31% 

2 33% 

3 20% 

4 10% 

5 3% 

6 2% 

7+ 1% 

Cohabitation of Parent and Minor Children 100% 

Parent lives with all minor children 61% 

Parent lives away from all minor children 37% 

Parent lives with some of minor children 2% 

Crop Worker: Unity with / Separation from Nuclear Family 100% 

Accompanied (lives with at least one nuclear family member) 43%

 Unaccompanied (living away from all nuclear family) 57%

 Among unaccompanied 100%

 Single, no children 61%

 Parents 31%

 Married, no children 8% 

Chapter 3 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Native Language 100%

 Spanish 81%

 English 18%

 Other 2% 

Education 

Highest grade completed 7th 

Years of Schooling 100%

 No schooling 4%

 1st – 3rd grade 13%

 4th – 7th grade 38%

 8th – 11th grade 28%

 12th grade 13%

 13 + years 5% 
59

Chapter 3 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Highest grade completed by place of birth 

 United States 11th

 All foreign-born 6th 

Participation in adult education in the U.S. (lifetime) 20% 

Type of adult education (multiple responses) 

English 10%

 GED 5%

 College or university 3%

 Citizenship class 2%

 Job training 2%

 Other 1% 

Ability to Speak English 100% 

Not at all 44%

 A little 26%

 Some 6%

 Well 24% 

Ability to Read English 100% 

Not at all 53%

 A little 20%

 Some 6%

 Well 22% 

Chapter 4 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Farm Employers 

Average No. of farm employers in previous year 1.43 

Number of farm employers in previous year 100%

 1 72%

 2 18%

 3 6%

 4 2%

 5 + 1% 
60

Chapter 4 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Time Employed and Not Employed in Previous Year 

Activity Weeks (excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

farm work 34 

non farm work 5 

in the United States but not working 9 

outside of the United States 4 

Number of Farm Workdays in Previous Year 

All workers 174 

All authorized workers 185 

All unauthorized workers 165 

Foreign-born newcomers 90 

U.S. Farm Work Experience 

(excluding foreign-born newcomers) 

Average number of years of U.S. farm work 12 

Number of years of U.S. farm work 100%

 0 – 1 8%

 2 – 4 24%

 5 – 10 26%

 11 – 20 23%

 21 + 18% 

Employment Plans and Expectations 

Number of years planning to do farm work 100%

 Less than 1 4%

 1 – 3 12%

 4 – 5 5%

 More than 5 6% 

More than 5 and as long as able 66%

 Other 7% 

Crop worker believes could obtain non-farm job in one month 100%

 Yes 37%

 No 42%

 Not sure 21% 
61

Chapter 5 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Employer Type 100% 

Employer is a grower (direct hire) 79% 

Employer is a farm labor contractor 21% 

Primary Crop at Current Farm Job 100% 

Fruit and nut 34%

 Vegetable 31%

 Horticultural 18%

 Field 14%

 Miscellaneous 4% 

Primary Task at Current Farm Job 100% 

Pre-harvest 16%

 Harvest 30%

 Post-harvest 9%

 Technical production 17%

 Other 27% 

How Obtained Current Farm Job 100% 

Applied on own 26% 

Referred by friend, relative, or fellow worker 70% 

Recruited by grower, foreman, or labor contractor 3% 

Years Working for Current Farm Employer 

Average number of years 4 

Number of years 100%

 0 – 1 35%

 2 – 3 28%

 4 – 5 13%

 6 – 7 7%

 8 – 9 4%

 10 + 13% 

Seasonality of Current Farm Job 100%

 Year-round 60%

 Seasonal 25%

 Not sure 15% 

Hours Worked in Previous Week at 

Current Farm Job 42 
62

Chapter 5 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Basis for Pay, Current Farm Job 100% 

By the hour 79% 

By the piece 16% 

Combination, hourly and piece 3%

 Salary 2% 

Hourly Wage at Current Farm Job $7.25 

Cash Bonus Given 100% 

Yes 22%

 No 65%

 Not sure 13% 

Type of Cash Bonus (when given) 

(multiple responses) 

Holiday bonus 51%

 Incentive award 12% 

Bonus contingent on employer’s profits 5%

 End-of-season payment 32%

 Transportation stipend 1%

 Other 5% 

Eligible for Unemployment Insurance 100%

 Yes 39%

 No 54%

 Not sure 8% 

Covered by Workers’ Compensation 100% 

Yes 48%

 No 20%

 Not sure 31% 

Covered by Health Insurance 100% 

Yes 23%

 No 76% 

Source of Health Insurance (for those covered) 100% 

Current farm employer 46%

 Government 19% 

Self, spouse, or family 15%

 Spouse’s employer 12%

 Other 7% 
63

Chapter 5 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Housing Arrangement during Current Farm Job 100% 

Rents from non employer 58% 

Employer provides for free 17% 

Rents from employer 4% 

Worker or worker’s family owns 19% 

Stays for free with family or friend 2% 

Housing Location during Current Farm Job 100% 

Off farm, non employer administered 80% 

Off farm, employer administered 6%

 On farm 14% 

Housing Type during Current Farm Job 100% 

Single family home or unit 55%

 Apartment 22% 

Trailer or mobile home 16% 

Dormitory or barracks 3% 

Duplex / conjoined multifamily structure 2% 

Motel / hotel 1% 

Daily Worksite Availability of 

Drinking water and disposable cups 80% 

Water for washing hands 95%

 Toilet 93% 

Mode of Transportation to Current Farm Job 100% 

Drives a car 42%

 Walks 8% 

Rides in car with others 35% 

Rides a labor bus 8% 

Pays a driver “Raitero” 7% 

Tools and Equipment (when they are utilized) Paid by: 

Employer 84%

 Worker 12%

 Both 3% 
64

Chapter 6 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Individual Income, All U.S. Sources, Previous Calendar Year 

Average individual income range $10,000 - 

$12,499 

Individual income range 100%

 $0 - $999 2%

 $1,000 - $2,499 4%

 $2,500 - $4,999 7%

 $5,000 - $7,499 11%

 $7,500 - $9,999 14%

 $10,000 - $12,499 19%

 $12,500 - $14,999 15%

 $15,000 - $17,499 9%

 $17,500 - $19,999 7%

 $20,000 - $24,999 6%

 $25,000 - $29,999 4%

 $30,000 + 3% 

Family Income, All U.S. Sources, Previous Calendar Year 

Average family income range $15,000 - 

$17,499 

Family income range 100%

 $0 - $999 2%

 $1,000 - $2,499 3%

 $2,500 - $4,999 5%

 $5,000 - $7,499 7%

 $7,500 - $9,999 11%

 $10,000 - $12,499 15%

 $12,500 - $14,999 13%

 $15,000 - $17,499 8%

 $17,500 - $19,999 9%

 $20,000 - $24,999 9%

 $25,000 - $29,999 7%

 $30,000 + 13% 

Assets Owned or Buying in the United States 

(all workers, multiple responses) 

Plot of land 4%

 Home 17%

 Mobile home 3% 

Car or truck 49% 
65

Chapter 6 Variables Mean or 

Percentage 

Assets Owned or Buying in a Foreign Country 

(foreign-born workers, multiple responses) 

Plot of land 7%

 Home 43%

 Mobile home 0% 

Car or truck 3% 

Households Receiving Payments from 

Contribution-Based Programs (last two years) 

Unemployment Insurance 21%

 Social Security 2%

 Disability Insurance 1% 

Households Receiving Benefits from 

Needs-Based Programs (last two years) 

Medicaid 15% 

Women Infants and Children (WIC) 11%

 Food Stamps 8%

 Public Housing 1% 
66