Farm
Labor
 
National
Agricultural
Statistics
Service
 
USDA
Washington, D.C.
 
Released August 21, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of
Agriculture. For information on "Farm Labor" call Steve Logan at
202-690-3228, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
 
 
 
  Hired Workers Up 3 Percent, Wages Up 5 Percent From a Year Ago
 
There were 1.45 million hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches
the week of July 12-18, 1998, up 3 percent from a year ago. There were
1.07 million workers hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural
service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 379,000
workers. Migrant workers accounted for 13.7 percent of the July hired
workforce compared to 10.8 percent last year.
 
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $7.24 per
hour during the July 1998 survey week, up 36 cents from a year earlier.
Field workers received an average of $6.78 per hour, up 34 cents from
last July. Livestock workers earned $6.91 per hour compared with $6.54 a
year earlier. The Field and Livestock worker combined wage rate was up
34 cents from last year.
 
Number of hours worked averaged 40.7 hours for hired workers during the
survey week compared with 40.9 hours a year ago.
 
The largest increases in hired farm workers over last year were in
California, Florida, the Mountain I Region (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming),
and Hawaii. In California, field activities increased as favorable
weather conditions prevailed in most areas. Harvest activities in
Florida picked up after much needed rain helped extinguish wildfires.
Increased fieldwork activities, including row crop cultivation, hay
baling, irrigating, and equipment preparation for harvest, produced the
need for more workers in the Mountain I Region.
 
The largest declines in hired farm workers from a year ago occurred in
the Southern Plains, Corn Belt I and II, Delta, and Pacific regions.
Drought conditions in the Southern Plains and Delta regions was the
primary reason for fewer hired farm workers. In the Corn Belt, fewer
hired farm workers were needed during the survey week because rapid crop
development has placed farmers ahead of schedule. In the Pacific
Northwest, hot, dry weather advanced crop maturity, prompting farm
operators to use fewer workers in this region.
 
Hired farm worker wage rates in most regions were above a year ago. The
largest increases generally occurred in the Northeastern and Appalachian
Regions. Specialty farms, nursery, and greenhouse operations generally
reported the highest wages among farm operators.
 
The largest declines in the hired worker wage rates from last year were
realized in the Mountain II, Northern Plains, and Southeast regions.
Fewer full-time workers reported on the payroll during the survey week
contributed to most of the decline in these regions.
 
Sp Sy 8  (8-98)
 
 
 
             Farm Labor:  Employment and Wage Rates, United States,
                      July 12-18, 1998, with Comparisons 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :   July 6-12,   :  April 12-18,  :  July 12-18,
       Farm Employment       :      1997      :      1998      :      1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :                      1,000
                             :
Hired Workers                :
  Expected to be Employed    :     1,069              803            1,071
    150 Days or More         :       689             *618              712
    149 Days or Less         :       380             *185              359
                             :
Agricultural Services        :
  Workers Working on Farms   :       340              202              379
                             :
Hired Farm & Service Workers :     1,409            1,005            1,450
                             :
                             :
                             :                     Percent
                             :
Migrant Workers Percent of   :
 Hired Farm & Service Workers:      10.8              6.6             13.7
                             :
                             :
                             :                  Hours per Week
                             :
Hours Worked                 :
 Hired                       :      40.9             40.0             40.7
                             :
                             :
                             :                 Dollars per Hour
                             :
Wage Rates for               :
 All Hired Workers 2/ 3/     :      6.88            *7.49             7.24
                             :
Type of Worker               :
 Field & Livestock Combined  :      6.46             7.00             6.80
   Field                     :      6.44             7.00             6.78
   Livestock                 :      6.54             6.99             6.91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.
1/  Excludes AK.
2/  Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided some workers but the
    values are not included in the wage rates.
3/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
 
 
 
 
                Hired Workers:  Number and Hours Worked by Region
                     and United States, July 12-18, 1998 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                             Hired
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
      U.S.      :               :    Expected to be Employed    :
       and      :    Number     :-------------------------------:    Number
    Region 2/   :      of       :   150 Days    :   149 Days    :   of Hours
                :    Workers    :    or More    :    or Less    :    Worked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :     --------------- 1,000 --------------       Hours per Week
                :
Northeast I     :        48             34              14            39.7
Northeast II    :        47             30              17            40.7
                :
Appalachian I   :        66             33              33            34.8
Appalachian II  :        38             18              20            26.7
                :
Southeast       :        45             30              15            39.5
FL              :        45             40               5            41.5
                :
Lake            :        72             40              32            37.3
                :
Cornbelt I      :        50             28              22            32.1
Cornbelt II     :        28             21               7            28.7
                :
Delta           :        40             28              12            40.9
                :
Northern Plains :        45             25              20            42.3
                :
Southern Plains :        63             45              18            44.4
                :
Mountain I      :        31             20              11            44.7
Mountain II     :        30             20              10            41.4
Mountain III    :        22             16               6            47.7
                :
Pacific         :        95             43              52            43.9
CA              :       298            234              64            44.5
                :
HI              :         8              7               1            36.6
                :
US 3/           :     1,071            712             359            40.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
 
 
 
 
      Hired Workers:  Wage Rates for Type of Workers and All Hired Workers
                by Region and United States, July 12-18, 1998 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :               Type of Worker               :
      U.S.      :--------------------------------------------:  Wage Rates for
       and      :              :              :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers
    Region 2/   :    Field     :  Livestock   :   Combined   :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour
                :
Northeast I     :     7.27           6.80           7.12             7.58
Northeast II    :     6.95           6.20           6.75             7.22
                :
Appalachian I   :     6.24           7.12           6.34             6.70
Appalachian II  :     6.07           6.54           6.24             6.59
                :
Southeast       :     6.02           5.82           5.99             6.22
FL              :     7.25           6.90           7.21             8.08
                :
Lake            :     6.95           6.41           6.77             7.01
                :
Cornbelt I      :     7.45           7.52           7.47             7.84
Cornbelt II     :     6.61           7.62           7.02             7.52
                :
Delta           :     6.20           6.83           6.36             6.75
                :
Northern Plains :     6.73           6.51           6.69             7.08
                :
Southern Plains :     5.98           5.98           5.98             6.32
                :
Mountain I      :     6.05           6.47           6.13             6.26
Mountain II     :     6.13           7.08           6.39             6.95
Mountain III    :     6.11           6.74           6.22             6.65
                :
Pacific         :     6.77           8.70           6.91             7.27
CA              :     7.10           8.05           7.19             7.72
                :
HI 4/           :     8.82                          8.91            10.30
                :
US 3/           :     6.78           6.91           6.80             7.24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
4/  Insufficient data for livestock.
 
 
 
 
                Hired Workers:  Number and Hours Worked by Region
                     and United States, April 12-18, 1998 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                             Hired
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
      U.S.      :               :    Expected to be Employed    :
       and      :    Number     :-------------------------------:    Number
    Region 2/   :      of       :   150 Days    :   149 Days    :   of Hours
                :    Workers    :    or More    :    or Less    :    Worked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :      -------------- 1,000 --------------       Hours per Week
                :
Northeast I     :       37              26              11             37.6
Northeast II    :       29              21               8             39.3
                :
Appalachian I   :       26              18               8             38.1
Appalachian II  :       28              20               8             32.9
                :
Southeast       :       35              26               9             40.9
FL              :       57              43              14             39.9
                :
Lake            :       59              46              13             33.7
                :
Cornbelt I      :       47              37              10             37.8
Cornbelt II     :       32              27               5             37.3
                :
Delta           :       31              27               4             46.6
                :
Northern Plains :       41              36               5             43.1
                :
Southern Plains :       58              47              11             39.7
                :
Mountain I      :       20              16               4             46.8
Mountain II     :       19              14               5            *40.1
Mountain III    :       19              15               4             42.5
                :
Pacific         :       64              46              18             39.1
CA              :      194             147              47             42.7
                :
HI              :        7               6               1             35.2
                :
US 3/           :      803             618             185             40.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
 
 
 
 
       Hired Workers:  Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers
                By Region and United States, April 12-18, 1998 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :               Type of Worker               :
      U.S.      :--------------------------------------------:  Wage Rates for
       and      :              :              :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers
    Region 2/   :    Field     :  Livestock   :   Combined   :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour
                :
Northeast I     :    *8.01           6.09          *7.29            *7.55
Northeast II    :    *7.05           6.29          *6.88            *7.44
                :
Appalachian I   :     6.51           6.96           6.65            *7.02
Appalachian II  :     6.47           6.09           6.35             6.53
                :
Southeast       :     6.20           6.26           6.21             6.48
FL              :     6.75           7.20           6.78             7.57
                :
Lake            :     7.39           7.43           7.41             8.06
                :
Cornbelt I      :     7.39           8.13           7.62             8.14
Cornbelt II     :     7.49           7.23           7.37             7.64
                :
Delta           :     5.87           6.74           6.04             6.30
                :
Northern Plains :     7.55           6.62           7.15            *7.63
                :
Southern Plains :     6.20           6.29           6.25             6.72
                :
Mountain I      :     6.51           5.92           6.21             6.46
Mountain II     :     6.80          *7.14          *6.97            *7.43
Mountain III    :     6.32           6.52           6.36             7.02
                :
Pacific         :     7.00           8.49           7.21             7.89
CA              :     7.30           8.08           7.39             7.87
                :
HI 4/           :     9.06                          8.95            10.43
                :
US 3/           :     7.00           6.99           7.00            *7.49
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
4/  Insufficient data for livestock.
 
 
 
 
                Hired Workers:  Number and Hours Worked by Region
                      and United States, July 6-12, 1997 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                             Hired
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
      U.S.      :               :    Expected to be Employed    :
       and      :    Number     :-------------------------------:    Number
    Region 2/   :      of       :   150 Days    :   149 Days    :   of Hours
                :    Workers    :  or More 3/   :  or Less 3/   :    Worked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :     --------------- 1,000 --------------       Hours per Week
                :
Northeast I     :        49             35              14            37.2
Northeast II    :        48             33              15            46.0
                :
Appalachian I   :        67             26              41            38.3
Appalachian II  :        39             16              23            30.7
                :
Southeast       :        48             33              15            37.2
FL              :        40             36               4            41.5
                :
Lake            :        70             43              27            35.1
                :
Cornbelt I      :        65             36              29            33.2
Cornbelt II     :        37             29               8            33.5
                :
Delta           :        50             36              14            41.9
                :
Northern Plains :        51             35              16            43.0
                :
Southern Plains :        82             54              28            44.3
                :
Mountain I      :        26             17               9            41.7
Mountain II     :        30             21               9            49.5
Mountain III    :        25             17               8            41.2
                :
Pacific         :       108             52              56            39.9
CA              :       227            164              63            46.4
                :
HI              :         7              6               1            37.6
                :
US 3/           :     1,069            689             380            40.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
 
 
 
 
       Hired Workers:  Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers
                 By Region and United States, July 6-12, 1997 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :               Type of Worker               :
      U.S.      :--------------------------------------------:  Wage Rates for
       and      :              :              :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers
    Region 2/   :    Field     :  Livestock   :   Combined   :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour
                :
Northeast I     :     6.99           6.41           6.81             7.15
Northeast II    :     6.29           5.71           6.10             6.56
                :
Appalachian I   :     5.62           6.67           5.77            *5.86
Appalachian II  :     5.65           5.45           5.60             5.80
                :
Southeast       :     5.92           6.08           5.95             6.46
FL              :     6.71           6.60           6.69             7.60
                :
Lake            :     6.56           6.10           6.35             6.72
                :
Cornbelt I      :     6.70           7.84           6.95             7.63
Cornbelt II     :     6.93           6.65           6.82             7.17
                :
Delta           :     5.67           6.42           5.86             6.23
                :
Northern Plains :     6.95           6.99           6.96             7.39
                :
Southern Plains :     5.60           6.17           5.83             6.32
                :
Mountain I      :     5.89           6.39           6.00             6.19
Mountain II     :     5.88          *6.67           6.00            *6.32
Mountain III    :     6.30           6.21           6.29             6.99
                :
Pacific         :     6.83           8.54           6.93             7.33
CA              :     6.74           7.43           6.79             7.18
                :
HI 4/           :     9.11                          9.10            10.34
                :
US 3/           :     6.44           6.54           6.46             6.88
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
4/  Insufficient data for livestock.
 
 
 
 
           Field and Livestock Workers Combined:  Wage Rates, by Type
                       of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :        July 6-12, 1997        :       July 12-18, 1998
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
    Region 2/   : Field : Other :L'stk &:  All  : Field : Other :L'stk &:  All
                : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour
                :
Northeast       : 7.54     6.42    5.98   6.29    6.90    7.19    6.16    6.82
Appalachian     : 5.51     6.27    6.40   5.88    5.85    6.26    7.54    6.54
Southeast       : 5.57     6.72    6.10   6.36    5.85    6.51    6.54    6.54
Lake            : 6.84     7.02    6.10   6.35    6.85    7.09    6.50    6.77
Cornbelt        : 7.02       3/    7.10   7.08    7.39    7.78    7.04    7.33
Delta           : 5.61     5.47    6.42   5.86    5.73      3/    6.44    6.36
Northern Plains : 6.93       3/      3/   6.96    7.03    8.15      3/    6.69
Southern Plains : 5.18     5.79    6.17   5.83      3/    5.71    6.05    5.98
Mountain        : 6.23     6.04    6.34   6.19    5.73    6.41    6.58    6.43
Pacific         : 7.48     7.27    8.14   7.39    7.88    7.59    8.82    7.66
48 States       : 6.10     6.63    6.45   6.47    6.46    6.89    6.82    6.80
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
            All Hired Workers:  Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm
                           by Region and 48 States 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :          July 6-12, 1997          :         July 12-18, 1998
 Region :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/   : Gross Value Sales-$1000's  :      : Gross Value Sales-$1000's  :
        :----------------------------: All  :----------------------------: All
        : <40  :40-99 :100-249 :250+ :Farms : <40 :40-99 :100-249 : 250+ :Farms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :                           Dollars per Hour
        :
N. East : 6.09   5.57    6.61    7.73  6.83  6.50     3/    6.65    7.76   7.40
Appal.  : 5.26   7.07    5.63    5.99  5.85    3/   6.25    6.17    6.72   6.67
S. East : 6.54   5.89    6.58      3/  7.01  6.68   7.17    6.52    7.33   7.17
Lake    : 5.78     3/    5.85    6.63  6.72  5.38   6.63    6.48    7.51   7.01
Cornbelt: 7.01     3/    7.15    7.57  7.46  7.48   6.79    6.63    8.10   7.73
Delta   : 6.10   6.17    5.63    6.53  6.23  5.76   5.79    6.54    7.06   6.75
N. Plain: 6.66     3/    6.10    7.61  7.48  5.76   6.73    7.15    7.39   7.08
S. Plain: 5.40   6.31    6.22    6.67  6.32    3/   5.93    5.91    6.46   6.32
Mountain: 6.35   6.79    6.11    6.60  6.49  5.75   6.32    6.57    6.76   6.60
Pacific : 7.02   6.67    6.91    7.32  7.27  7.20   6.77    7.63    7.66   7.61
48 State: 6.06   6.42    6.26    7.21  6.90  6.74   6.62    6.72    7.44   7.24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Regions consist of the following States.
      Northeast: CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.
      Appalachian:  KY, NC, TN, VA, WV.
      Southeast:  AL, FL, GA, SC.
      Lake:  MI, MN, WI.
      Cornbelt:  IA, IL, IN, MO, OH.
      Delta:  AR, LA, MS.
      Northern Plains:  KS, NE, ND, SD.
      Southern Plains:  OK, TX.
      Mountain:  AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY.
      Pacific:  CA, OR, WA.
      48 States:  All States, excluding AK and HI.
3/    Insufficient data.
 
 
 
 
                    Field and Livestock Workers: Distribution
                       by Type of Farm, 48 States 1/ 2/ 3/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Type of      :     July 6-12,      :   April 12-18,   :   July 12-18,
        Farm        :        1997         :       1998       :       1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :          Percent of Field and Livestock Workers
                    :
Field Crops         :         23                    14                 17
Other Crops         :         50                    55                 55
Livestock, Dairy,   :
 & Poultry          :         27                    31                 28
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
                    Hired Workers:  Distribution by Economic
                         Class of Farm, 48 States 1/ 3/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Gross Value    :     July 6-12,      :   April 12-18,   :   July 12-18,
      of Sales      :        1997         :       1998       :       1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                 Percent of Hired Workers
                    :
Less than $40,000   :         13                     9                  9
$40,000-$99,999     :         12                     7                 10
$100,000-$249,999   :         15                    14                 16
$250,000 and over   :         60                    70                 65
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
         Hired Workers:  Distribution by Category, United States, 1/ 3/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :   July 6-12,   :  April 12-18,  :  July 12-18,
                             :      1997      :      1998      :      1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :             Percent of Hired Workers
Employed on Farms Hiring     :
  1 Worker                   :      10                 14                9
  2 Workers                  :      10                  8                9
  3-6 Workers                :      22                 20               21
  7-10 Workers               :      11                  8               10
  At least 11 Workers        :      47                 50               51
                             :     100.0            100.0            100.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  48 States, excluding AK and HI.
2/  Field and Livestock Workers combined.
3/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
 
 
 
 
                      Agricultural Services
 
 
Crew leaders and custom crews provided 379,000 workers for the Nation's
farms and ranches during the week of July 12-18, 1998. Service workers
in California numbered 110,000 this July compared with 96,000 last year.
Florida's number of service workers was 5,000, compared to 4,000 last
year.
 
The average wage received by agricultural service workers in California
and Florida were $7.19 and $8.60 per hour, respectively. Comparable
wages in July 1997 were $6.87 in California and $8.10 in Florida.
 
 
 
 
      Agricultural Service Workers:  Number, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates,
                  for California, Florida, and United States 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      :    Number of Workers    :         Hours         :         Wage
      :    Working on Farms     :       Worked 2/       :      Rates 2/ 3/
 State:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
      :  Jul  :  Apr   :  Jul   :  Jul  :  Apr  :  Jul  :  Jul  :  Apr  :  Jul
      : 1997  :  1998  :  1998  : 1997  : 1998  : 1998  : 1997  : 1998  : 1998
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      : -------- 1,000 -------    ------- Hours ------      Dollars per Hour
      :
CA    :  96.0    76.0    110.0    37.2    35.7    38.3    6.87    7.89    7.19
FL    :   4.0    13.0      5.0    39.5    40.0    32.0    8.10    8.40    8.60
      :
US    : 340.0   202.0    379.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Data are for Agricultural Services performed on the farm by custom
    service units such as crew leaders or custom crews.  These statistics are
    not included in the State-Regional tables.
2/  United States data not available.
3/  Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided some workers but
    the values are not included in the wage rates.
 
 
 
         Migrant Workers:  Percent of all Hired Workers, United States,
         By Quarter (Includes Agricultural Service Workers), 1995-98 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Year      :      Jan      :      Apr      :      Jul      :      Oct
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                            Percent
                :
1995 2/         :       NA              NA            12.4             11.6
1996            :       5.7             7.5           13.1             11.1
1997            :       9.5             6.3           10.8             11.2
1998            :       7.3             6.6           13.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Definition "Migrant Worker" is a farm worker whose employment required
    travel that prevented the farm worker from returning to his/her permanent
    place of residence the same day.
2/  Data first collected during July 1995 survey.
 
 
 
 
                       Farm Labor Regions
 
 
     Region                   States
 
     Northeast I              CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT.
     Northeast II             DE, MD, NJ, PA.
     Appalachian I            NC, VA.
     Appalachian II           KY, TN, WV.
     Southeast                AL, GA, SC.
     Lake                     MI, MN, WI.
     Cornbelt I               IL, IN, OH.
     Cornbelt II              IA, MO.
     Delta                    AR, LA, MS.
     Northern Plains          KS, NE, ND, SD.
     Southern Plains          OK, TX.
     Mountain I               ID, MT, WY.
     Mountain II              CO, NV, UT.
     Mountain III             AZ, NM.
     Pacific                  OR, WA.
 
 
                Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates
 
Survey Procedures: These data were collected by the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) during the last two weeks of July
using sampling procedures to ensure every employer of agricultural
workers had a chance of being selected.
 
Two samples of farm operators are selected. First, NASS maintains a list
of farms that hire farm workers. Farms on this list are classified by
size and type. Those expected to employ large numbers of workers are
selected with greater frequency than those hiring few or no workers. A
second sample consists of segments of land scientifically selected from
an area sampling frame. Each June, highly trained interviewers locate
each selected land segment and identify every farm operating land within
the sample segment's boundaries. The names of farms found in these area
segments are matched against the NASS list of farms; those not found on
the list are included in the labor survey sample to represent all farms.
This methodology is known as multiple frame sampling, with an area
sample used to measure the incompleteness of the list. Additionally, a
list of agricultural service firms was sampled in California and
Florida. The survey reference week was July 12-18, 1998.
 
Reliability: Two types of errors, sampling and nonsampling, are possible
in an estimate based on a sample survey. Both types affect the
"precision" of the estimates.
 
Sampling error occurs because a complete census is not taken. The
sampling error measures the variation in estimates from the average of
all possible samples. An estimate of 100 with a sampling error of 1
would mean that chances are 19 out of 20 that the estimates from all
possible samples averaged together would be between 98 and 102; which is
the survey estimate, plus or minus two times the sampling error. The
sampling error expressed as a percent of the estimate is called the
relative sampling error. The relative sampling error for number of hired
workers at the U.S. level was 3.3 percent. The relative sampling error
for the number of hired workers generally ranged between 9 and 20
percent at the regional level. The U.S. all hired farm worker wage rate
had a relative sampling error of 0.8 percent. The relative sampling
error was 0.8 percent for the combined field and livestock worker wage
rate. Relative sampling errors for the all hired farm worker wage rate
generally ranged between 2 and 8 percent at the regional levels.
Relative sampling errors for wage rates published by type of farm and
economic class of farm ranged between 2 and 14 percent at the regional
level.
 
Nonsampling errors can occur in a complete census as well as in sample
surveys. They are caused by the inability to obtain correct information
from each operation sampled, differences in interpreting questions or
definitions, and mistakes in editing, coding, or processing the data.
Special efforts are taken at each step of the survey to minimize
nonsampling errors.
 
Revision Policy: Farm labor information is subject to revision the next
time the information is published or the year after the original
publication date. The basis for revision must be supported by additional
data that directly affect the level of the estimate. Worker numbers and
wage rates for July 1997 and April 1998 were subject to revision with
this report. Revisions were made and previous data are reprinted in this
report for your information.
 
 
                               Index
 
                                                               Page
 
U.S. Hired Workers on Farms, Wage Rates and Hours Worked . . . . .3
 
Number of Workers and Average Hours Worked by Region and U.S.
     July 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
     April 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
     July 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
 
Wage Rates by Region and U.S.
     July 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
     April 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
     July 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
 
Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages
     July 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
     April 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
     July 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
 
Other Labor Estimates
     U.S. Distribution of Workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
     Wage Rates by Type of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States . . 10
     Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States10
     Migrant Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
 
Farm Labor Region Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
 
Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
 
Revision Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
 
 
 
The next "Farm Labor" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on
November 20, 1998.
 
 
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national
origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at
202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
 
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
 
 
 
 
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