HDR1012000170050221971500FARM LABOR                                             
Farm                                                                            
Labor                                                                           
National                                                                        
Agricultural                                                                    
Statistics                                                                      
Service                                                                         
                                                                                
USDA                                                                            
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released February 21, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service     
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Farm Labor" call Eddie Oaks at (202) 690-3228, office hours 7:30
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural statistics,     
information about NASS, its products or services, contact the Agricultural      
Statistics Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.             
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
          Hired Workers Up 7 Percent, Wages Up 4 Percent                        
                                                                                
There were 766,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the   
week of January 12-18, 1997, up 7 percent from a year earlier. There were       
635,000 workers hired directly by farm operators.  Agricultural service         
employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 131,000 workers.  Migrant  
workers accounted for 9.5 percent of the January hired workforce compared to 5.7
percent last year.                                                              
                                                                                
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $7.19 per hour       
during the January 1997 survey week, up 30 cents (4.0 percent) from a year      
earlier.  Field workers received an average of $6.60 per hour, up 27 cents.     
Livestock workers earned $6.52 per hour compared with $6.20 a year earlier.     
                                                                                
During the survey week of January 12-18, 1997, cold air spread over the Nation  
in two stages, continuing harsh conditions across the North Central States and  
delivering late-week freeze damage to crops in portions of Florida.  Despite a  
late-week warm-up, weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit     
below normal from the Rockies to the Appalachians.  Farther west, rain returned 
to flood-stricken areas of California, but much more significant precipitation  
fell across the Northwest and Southwest.  Widespread ice and snow accumulated   
from Texas and Louisiana into the Midwest.  Rain dampened the East, while in the
Great Lakes Region record-setting snow squalls continued.  In Florida, warm     
weather and locally heavy rain preceded a late-week cold snap.                  
                                                                                
             Farm Labor:  Employment and Wage Rates, United States,             
                    January 12-18, 1997, with Comparisons 1/                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             : January 7-13,  : October 6-12,  : January 12-18, 
       Farm Employment       :      1996      :      1996      :      1997      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :                      1,000                       
                             :                                                  
Hired Workers                :       598              935              635      
  Expected to be Employed    :                                                  
    150 Days or More         :       496              625              537      
    149 Days or Less         :       102              310               98      
                             :                                                  
Agricultural Services        :                                                  
  Workers Working on Farms   :       115              291              131      
                             :                                                  
Hired Farm & Service Workers :       713            1,226              766      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                     Percent                      
                             :                                                  
Migrant Workers Percent of   :                                                  
 Hired Farm & Service Workers:      *5.7             11.1              9.5      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                  Hours per Week                  
                             :                                                  
Hours Worked                 :                                                  
 Hired                       :      39.1             40.6             36.5      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                 Dollars per Hour                 
                             :                                                  
Wage Rates for               :                                                  
 All Hired Workers 2/ 3/     :      6.89             6.97             7.19      
                             :                                                  
Type of Worker               :                                                  
 Field & Livestock Combined  :      6.28             6.58             6.57      
   Field                     :      6.33             6.58             6.60      
   Livestock                 :      6.20             6.57             6.52      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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, January 12-18, 1997 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     :       29              25              4             38.6      
Northeast II    :       30              26              4             40.5      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       23              19              4             34.3      
Appalachian II  :       24              20              4             29.6      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       33              30              3             37.0      
FL              :       67              58              9             35.5      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       44              39              5             37.2      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       31              27              4             34.8      
Cornbelt II     :       24              20              4             37.8      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       26              22              4             33.1      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       25              21              4             38.0      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       47              38              9             38.5      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       11              10              1             43.9      
Mountain II     :       13              12              1             38.9      
Mountain III    :       15              13              2             42.6      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :       49              42              7             40.0      
CA              :      137             109             28             34.0      
                :                                                               
HI              :        7               6              1             35.5      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      635             537             98             36.5      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, January 12-18, 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     :     7.78           6.28           6.82             7.45       
Northeast II    :     7.38           6.12           6.66             7.40       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     6.24           6.91           6.46             6.85       
Appalachian II  :     5.87           6.27           6.08             6.80       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     7.36           6.14           7.01             7.43       
FL              :     6.80           6.80           6.80             7.35       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     7.74           6.20           6.66             7.28       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     7.13           7.42           7.27             7.88       
Cornbelt II     :     7.35           6.32           6.74             7.22       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     6.26           6.16           6.21             6.82       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.80           7.16           7.35             7.57       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.56           5.97           5.81             6.11       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.19           6.59           6.48             6.91       
Mountain II     :     6.75           6.64           6.67             7.37       
Mountain III    :     5.82           5.90           5.84             6.36       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     6.71           6.92           6.78             7.42       
CA              :     6.04           7.50           6.25             7.10       
                :                                                               
HI              :     8.85             3/           8.87            10.32       
                :                                                               
US 4/           :     6.60           6.52           6.57             7.19       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.                                      
2/  Region map on page 13.                                                      
3/  Insufficient data.                                                          
4/  Excludes AK.                                                                
                                                                                
                Hired Workers:  Number and Hours Worked by Region               
                    and United States, October 6-12, 1996 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     :       52              39              13            40.7      
Northeast II    :       38              28              10            40.1      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       42              23              19            35.3      
Appalachian II  :       33              16              17            29.5      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       36              28               8            34.6      
FL              :       45              40               5            37.0      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       67              40              27            37.7      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       50              32              18            36.9      
Cornbelt II     :       40              26              14            33.9      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       42              32              10            50.7      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       47              31              16            47.3      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       63              42              21            41.2      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       23              17               6            50.6      
Mountain II     :       23              18               5            45.0      
Mountain III    :       19              17               2            45.1      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :      101              51              50            44.0      
CA              :      206             138              68            40.9      
                :                                                               
HI              :        8               7               1            39.7      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      935             625             310            40.6      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, October 6-12, 1996 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     :     7.21           6.28           6.92             7.36       
Northeast II    :     6.91           5.57           6.58             7.10       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     5.98           6.35           6.04             6.38       
Appalachian II  :     5.84           5.73           5.82             5.97       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     6.54           5.71           6.45             6.82       
FL              :     6.31           6.65           6.35             7.35       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     7.56           6.47           7.13             7.41       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     6.48           7.19           6.58             7.02       
Cornbelt II     :     6.34           6.58           6.43             6.74       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     5.57           6.02           5.65             5.78       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.02           6.46           6.93             7.22       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.38           6.00           5.56             5.85       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.16           7.31           6.60             6.57       
Mountain II     :     6.11           6.95           6.34             6.98       
Mountain III    :     5.94           6.37           6.11             6.53       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     7.29           7.28           7.29             7.58       
CA              :     6.67           7.25           6.74             7.22       
                :                                                               
HI              :     8.60             3/           8.65            *9.75       
                :                                                               
US 4/           :     6.58           6.57           6.58             6.97       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.                                      
2/  Region map on page 13.                                                      
3/  Insufficient data.                                                          
4/  Excludes AK.                                                                
                                                                                
                Hired Workers:  Number and Hours Worked by Region               
                    and United States, January 7-13, 1996 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     :       28              24               4            40.3      
Northeast II    :       21              19               2            39.5      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       23              20               3            39.5      
Appalachian II  :       16               9               7            30.4      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       22              19               3            34.9      
FL              :       47              40               7            39.0      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       40              33               7            33.9      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       34              30               4            33.7      
Cornbelt II     :       26              20               6            32.5      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       21              18               3            33.8      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       27              23               4            39.7      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       47              40               7            41.1      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       21              20               1            39.8      
Mountain II     :       11              10               1            38.3      
Mountain III    :       18              14               4            44.3      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :       37              28               9            37.1      
CA              :      152             123              29            43.8      
                :                                                               
HI              :        7               6               1            36.5      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      598             496             102            39.1      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, January 7-13, 1996 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     :     7.53           5.63           6.30             7.12       
Northeast II    :     6.53           5.54           6.04             6.76       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     5.97           6.20           6.13             6.51       
Appalachian II  :     5.41           5.93           5.62             5.94       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     6.00           6.13           6.04             6.60       
FL              :     6.40           6.25           6.38             7.43       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     6.97           5.68           5.97             6.80       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     7.15           6.47           6.81             7.27       
Cornbelt II     :     5.89           6.23           6.10             6.33       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     6.04           5.92           5.97             6.43       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.46           6.59           6.79             7.20       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.31           5.89           5.59             6.17       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.75           6.31           6.42             6.61       
Mountain II     :     6.80           6.29           6.49             7.09       
Mountain III    :     5.42           5.90           5.57             6.43       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     6.95           7.26           7.00             7.46       
CA              :     6.25           7.21           6.35             6.95       
                :                                                               
HI              :     8.34             3/           8.34             9.63       
                :                                                               
US 4/           :     6.33           6.20           6.28             6.89       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.                                      
2/  Region map on page 13.                                                      
3/  Insufficient data.                                                          
4/  Excludes AK.                                                                
                                                                                
           Field and Livestock Workers Combined:  Wage Rates, by Type           
                       of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1/                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :      January 7-13, 1996       :      January 12-18, 1997      
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
    Region 2/   : Field : Other :L'stk &:  All  : Field : Other :L'stk &:  All  
                : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms : Crops : Crops :Poultry: Farms 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour                        
                :                                                               
Northeast       : 6.92    7.95    5.43    6.20     6.77    8.22   5.93    6.74  
Appalachian     : 5.37    6.14    6.22    5.94     4.35    4.14   4.70    4.45  
Southeast       : 6.23    5.46    5.53    5.60     5.74    6.38   5.47    6.22  
Lake            : 7.47    6.85    5.66    5.97     6.66      3/   5.62    6.66  
Cornbelt        : 6.53    6.16    6.69    6.50     7.91    6.99   6.63    7.02  
Delta           : 6.34    4.81    5.84    5.97     6.30    6.92   5.97    6.21  
Northern Plains : 7.49    6.28    6.47    6.79       3/    6.49   7.09    7.35  
Southern Plains : 5.59    5.13    5.77    5.59     5.85    5.87   5.77    5.81  
Mountain        : 5.63    5.89    6.47    6.06     6.52    5.98   6.32    6.30  
Pacific         : 6.78    6.32    7.17    6.46     7.06    6.12   6.80    6.29  
48 States       : 6.26    6.20    6.14    6.18     6.49    6.43   6.08    6.27  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
            All Hired Workers:  Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm           
                           by Region and 48 States 1/                           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :        January 7-13, 1996         :       January 12-18, 1997        
  Region :----------------------------------------------------------------------
    2/   : Gross Value Sales-$1000's  : All  : Gross Value Sales-$1000's  : All 
         : <40  :40-99 :100-249 :250+ :Farms : <40 :40-99 :100-249 : 250+ :Farms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :                           Dollars per Hour                           
         :                                                                      
N. East  : 5.72   5.20    5.63   8.09   6.97   7.68  5.56    6.04    8.22  7.43 
Appal.   : 5.54   5.43    6.13   6.96   6.30   6.03  5.72    6.39    7.33  6.84 
S. East  : 4.78   5.66    5.32   6.10   5.89   5.70  5.42    5.58    6.66  6.50 
Lake     :   3/   5.53    6.54   7.21   6.80     3/  4.59    6.19    6.80  7.28 
Cornbelt : 6.13   4.91    6.79   7.28   6.86   7.19  6.06    7.02    7.90  7.56 
Delta    : 5.59   6.28    6.19   6.75   6.43   5.68  5.90    5.80    7.45  6.82 
N. Plains:   3/     3/    5.79   7.62   7.20   7.38  7.35      3/    8.01  7.57 
S. Plains: 6.98   5.37    5.94   6.21   6.17   6.21  5.66    5.72    6.29  6.11 
Mountain : 5.03   6.01    6.55   6.85   6.63   7.26  7.84    6.73    6.91  6.92 
Pacific  : 6.49   7.28    6.55   7.09   7.04   6.86  6.47    7.69    7.49  7.15 
48 States: 5.81   5.80    6.24   6.99   6.86   6.97  5.97    6.00    7.26  6.97 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/  Insufficent data.                                                           
                                                                                
                    Field and Livestock Workers: Distribution                   
                       by Type of Farm, 48 States 1/ 2/ 3/                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Type of      :    January 7-13,    :  October 6-12,   :  January 12-18,  
        Farm        :        1996         :       1996       :       1997       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :          Percent of Field and Livestock Workers           
                    :                                                           
Field Crops         :         19                  27                 12         
Other Crops         :         46                  48                 58         
Livestock, Dairy,   :                                                           
 & Poultry          :         35                  25                 30         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                    Hired Workers:  Distribution by Economic                    
                         Class of Farm, 48 States 1/ 3/                         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Gross Value    :    January 7-13,    :  October 6-12,   :  January 12-18,  
      of Sales      :        1996         :       1996       :       1997       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                 Percent of Hired Workers                  
                    :                                                           
Less than $40,000   :          9                  13                 12         
$40,000-$99,999     :          8                   9                  6         
$100,000-$249,999   :         16                  17                 17         
$250,000 and over   :         67                  61                 65         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
         Hired Workers:  Distribution by Category, United States, 1/ 3/         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             : January 7-13,  : October 6-12,  : January 12-18, 
                             :      1996      :      1996      :      1997      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :             Percent of Hired Workers             
Employed on Farms Hiring     :                                                  
  1 Worker                   :      14               10               13        
  2 Workers                  :      11               10               10        
  3-6 Workers                :      24               21               19        
  7-10 Workers               :       9               10                9        
  At least 11 Workers        :      42               49               49        
                             :     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 131,000 workers for the Nation's farms   
and ranches during the week of January 12-18, 1997. Service workers in          
California numbered 50,000 compared with 51,000 during the January 1996 survey  
week.  Florida's number of service workers was 15,800, compared to 15,000 last  
year.                                                                           
                                                                                
The average wages received by agricultural service workers in California and    
Florida were $8.03 and $8.05 per hour, respectively.  Comparable wages in       
January 1996 were $6.39 in California and $8.35 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:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
      :  Jan  :  Oct   :  Jan   :  Jan  :  Oct  :  Jan  :  Jan  :  Oct  :  Jan  
      : 1996  :  1996  :  1997  : 1996  : 1996  : 1997  : 1996  : 1996  : 1997  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      : -------- 1,000 -------    ------- Hours ------      Dollars per Hour    
      :                                                                         
CA    :  51.0    88.0     50.0    39.1     36.3   37.6    6.39     6.63   7.10  
FL    :  15.0     7.0     15.8    33.0    *24.0   37.0    8.35    *7.30   8.05  
      :                                                                         
US    : 115.0   291.0    131.0                                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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), 1995-97 1/         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Year      :      Jan      :      Apr      :      Jul      :      Oct      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                            Percent                            
                :                                                               
1995 2/         :     N/A             N/A             12.4            11.6      
1996            :      *5.7             7.5           13.1            11.1      
1997            :       9.5                                                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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 during the last two weeks of January     
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 employee 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 aerial photography.  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 list of farms; those not   
found on the list are included in the labor survey sample to represent all farms
not on the NASS list.  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 January 12-18, 1997.  The survey in     
California was jointly conducted with the California Employment Development     
Division beginning January 1997.                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
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 all hired workers at the U.S. level was 5.5 percent. The relative     
sampling error for number of hired workers generally ranged between 7 and 22    
percent at the regional level.  The U.S. all hired farm worker wage rate had a  
relative sampling error of 2.2 percent.  The relative sampling error was        
3.0 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 10    
percent at the regional level.                                                  
                                                                                
Nonsampling errors can occur in complete censuses 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 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 October 1996 and January 1996 were subject to revision with this report.    
Revisions are in this report.                                                   
                                                                                
The May 16th report will have information for the survey week of April 6-12,    
1997.  The report will include the number of All Hired Workers, Average Hours   
Worked by Hired Workers and the All Hired Worker Wage Rates at regional and U.S.
levels. The wage rate for field and livestock workers will be available for the 
regional and U.S. level.  Wage rates by type of farm and economic class of farm 
will also be available at the regional and U.S. level.  The number of           
Agricultural Service Workers and the corresponding wage rates will be published 
for Florida and California.                                                     
                               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.                   
  January 1997 .......................................................  4       
  October 1996 .......................................................  6       
  January 1996 .......................................................  8       
                                                                                
Wage Rates by Region and U.S.                                                   
  January 1997 .......................................................  5       
  October 1996 .......................................................  7       
  January 1996 .......................................................  9       
                                                                                
Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages                 
  January 1997 ....................................................... 12       
  October 1996 ....................................................... 12       
  January 1996 ....................................................... 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 States... 10       
  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 3:00 p.m. ET on May 16, 1997.  
                                                                                
                                                                                
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employment opportunity employer.                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
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