HDR1012000170050220981500FARM LABOR                                             
                                                                                
Farm                                                                            
Labor                                                                           
    National                                                                    
     Agricultural                                                               
     Statistics                                                                 
     Service                                                                    
                                                                                
USDA                                                                            
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released February 20, 1998, 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 7:00  
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
        Hired Workers and Wages 6 Percent Above a Year Ago                      
                                                                                
There were 802,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the   
week of January 11-17, 1998, up 6 percent from a year ago.  There were 661,000  
workers hired directly by farm operators.  Agricultural service employees on    
farms and ranches made up the remaining 141,000 workers.  Migrant workers       
accounted for 7.3 percent of the January hired workforce compared to 9.5        
percent last year.                                                              
                                                                                
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $7.61 per hour       
during the January 1998 survey week, up 41 cents or 6 percent from a year       
earlier. Field workers received an average of $6.99 per hour, up 39 cents.      
Livestock workers earned $6.97 per hour compared with $6.52 a year earlier.     
                                                                                
During the survey week of January 11-17, 1998, mild temperatures prevailed      
over most of the United States, except for early-week bitterly cold             
temperatures along the Northern Plains.  New England farmers, especially        
dairymen, worked extended hours to recover from the previous week's severe ice  
storm.  Field activities along the Pacific Coast were hampered again this week  
by an onslaught of storms bringing snow, ice, and rain.  In northern            
California, over 4 inches of rain fell in many locations, halting fieldwork.    
However, spring vegetable crop seedbed preparation and planting continued       
where weather and soils permitted.  The storms tracked eastward, bringing       
precipitation into the central and northern Rocky Mountains States.             
                                                                                
Late-week rain fell in all Florida citrus areas and slowed some harvest crews.  
Wet fields continued to delay some field preparations for spring vegetable      
planting.  Limited precipitation fell in the Plains and Corn Belt.  High winds  
sapped soil moisture in some parts of the southern Plains, but most areas       
still have ample moisture supplies.  On the Texas High Plains, adequate         
moisture from previous rainfall and mild temperatures prompted good winter      
wheat growth, and most fields provided excellent grazing.  In the Southeast,    
wet weather continued as storms again brought precipitation to the region,      
especially in eastern Louisiana.                                                
                                                                                
             Farm Labor:  Employment and Wage Rates, United States,             
                    January 11-17, 1998, with Comparisons 1/                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             : January 12-18, : October 12-18, : January 11-17, 
       Farm Employment       :      1997      :      1997      :      1998      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :                      1,000                       
                             :                                                  
Hired Workers                :      *624            *1,004             661      
  Expected to be Employed    :                                                  
    150 Days or More         :      *525               648             528      
    149 Days or Less         :       *99              *356             133      
                             :                                                  
Agricultural Services        :                                                  
  Workers Working on Farms   :       131               283             141      
                             :                                                  
Hired Farm & Service Workers :      *755            *1,287             802      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                     Percent                      
                             :                                                  
Migrant Workers Percent of   :                                                  
 Hired Farm & Service Workers:       9.5              11.2             7.3      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                  Hours per Week                  
                             :                                                  
Hours Worked                 :                                                  
 Hired                       :     *36.6              40.9            36.6      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                 Dollars per Hour                 
                             :                                                  
Wage Rates for               :                                                  
 All Hired Workers 2/ 3/     :     *7.20              7.31            7.61      
                             :                                                  
Type of Worker               :                                                  
 Field & Livestock Combined  :      6.57              6.91            6.98      
   Field                     :      6.60              6.94            6.99      
   Livestock                 :      6.52              6.80            6.97      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
1/  Excludes AK.                                                                
2/  Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided to 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 11-17, 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     :       32              28               4            38.0      
Northeast II    :       20              17               3            38.7      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       20              16               4            35.1      
Appalachian II  :       23              14               9            30.9      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       31              24               7            35.1      
FL              :       51              41              10            38.3      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       41              35               6            32.1      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       32              28               4            34.1      
Cornbelt II     :       26              17               9            31.5      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       27              20               7            29.2      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       33              28               5            39.4      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       52              44               8            38.5      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       19              16               3            33.6      
Mountain II     :       14              12               2            35.8      
Mountain III    :       17              15               2            42.0      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :       36              31               5            36.0      
CA              :      180             136              44            38.9      
                :                                                               
HI              :        7               6               1            35.3      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      661             528             133            36.6      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 11-17, 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     :     8.60           6.22           6.96             7.54       
Northeast II    :     7.45           6.08           6.80             7.51       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     6.50           6.66           6.57             6.97       
Appalachian II  :     6.44           5.71           6.10             6.33       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     7.13           6.09           6.70             7.23       
FL              :     7.45           8.00           7.49             8.22       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     7.74           7.16           7.35             8.32       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     7.51           7.62           7.57             8.31       
Cornbelt II     :     6.82           6.43           6.50             7.08       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     6.94           6.30           6.70             7.21       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     8.34           7.38           7.65             8.22       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     6.59           6.65           6.61             7.04       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.53           6.80           6.74             7.26       
Mountain II     :     7.22           6.89           7.00             7.65       
Mountain III    :     6.63           6.61           6.63             7.34       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     7.67           8.16           7.81             8.86       
CA              :     6.62           8.36           6.85             7.38       
                :                                                               
HI 4/           :     8.88                          8.84            10.24       
                :                                                               
US 3/           :     6.99           6.97           6.98             7.61       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, October 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     :        46             32              14             40.4     
Northeast II    :        43             34               9             37.1     
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :        53             22              31             31.3     
Appalachian II  :        52             18              34             29.9     
                :                                                               
Southeast       :        32             25               7             39.4     
FL              :       *45             41              *4            *39.9     
                :                                                               
Lake            :        80             48              32             41.3     
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :        56             33              23             41.3     
Cornbelt II     :        46             29              17             39.9     
                :                                                               
Delta           :        52             35              17             45.4     
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :        52             35              17             45.8     
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :        66             45              21             38.8     
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :        28             20               8             41.5     
Mountain II     :        26             21               5             40.3     
Mountain III    :        20             16               4             41.5     
                :                                                               
Pacific         :        79             42              37             41.0     
CA              :       220            145              75             45.6     
                :                                                               
HI              :         8              7               1             36.4     
                :                                                               
US 3/           :    *1,004            648            *356             40.9     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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, October 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     :     7.39           6.45           7.09             7.49       
Northeast II    :     6.68           6.18           6.50             7.06       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     6.51           6.77           6.55             6.73       
Appalachian II  :     6.14           6.16           6.14             6.27       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     6.38           6.27           6.36             6.95       
FL              :     7.10          *7.65          *7.19             7.75       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     7.85           6.01           7.28             7.73       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     7.17           7.46           7.21             7.81       
Cornbelt II     :     7.08           7.08           7.08             7.23       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     5.92           6.40           5.99             6.22       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.05           6.59           6.91             7.22       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     6.10           6.73           6.41             6.70       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.28           6.74           6.43             6.65       
Mountain II     :     6.74           7.23           6.85             7.25       
Mountain III    :     6.17           6.66           6.25             6.85       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     7.55           8.14           7.60             8.11       
CA              :     7.06           7.84           7.13             7.55       
                :                                                               
HI 4/           :     8.49                          8.55             9.98       
                :                                                               
US 3/           :     6.94           6.80           6.91             7.31       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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, 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 3/   :  or Less 3/   :    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              :      *56             *46             *10            *35.7     
                :                                                               
Lake            :       44              39               5            *37.1     
                :                                                               
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            *40.1     
CA              :      137             109              28             34.0     
                :                                                               
HI              :        7               6               1             35.5     
                :                                                               
US 3/           :     *624            *525             *99            *36.6     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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, 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            *7.46       
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            *6.81       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     7.36           6.14           7.01             7.43       
FL              :     6.80           6.80           6.80            *7.45       
                :                                                               
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          *6.73             7.22       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     6.26           6.16           6.21            *6.83       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.80           7.16          *7.34            *7.56       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.56           5.97           5.81            *6.12       
                :                                                               
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          *5.85            *6.37       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     6.71           6.92           6.78            *7.43       
CA              :     6.04           7.50           6.25             7.10       
                :                                                               
HI 4/           :     8.85                          8.87            10.32       
                :                                                               
US 3/           :     6.60           6.52           6.57            *7.20       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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/                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :      January 12-18, 1997      :      January 11-17, 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       :  6.77    8.22   5.93    6.74     7.84    8.06    6.36   7.10  
Appalachian     :  4.35    4.14   4.70    4.45     6.17    6.88    5.99   6.32  
Southeast       :  5.74    6.38   5.47    6.22     6.95    7.35    7.11   7.23  
Lake            :  6.66      3/   5.62    6.66     7.72    7.50    7.26   7.35  
Cornbelt        :  7.91    6.99   6.63    7.02     7.14    7.26    7.05   7.11  
Delta           :  6.30    6.92   5.97    6.21     7.20    7.18    5.91   6.70  
Northern Plains :    3/    6.49   7.09    7.35       3/      3/    7.22   7.65  
Southern Plains :  5.85    5.87   5.77    5.81     6.43    7.09    6.43   6.61  
Mountain        :  6.52    5.98   6.32    6.30     6.28    6.73    6.88   6.77  
Pacific         :  7.06    6.12   6.80    6.29       3/    6.81      3/   7.76  
48 States       :  6.49    6.43   6.08    6.27     7.29    6.84    7.06   6.98  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
            All Hired Workers:  Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm           
                           by Region and 48 States 1/                           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :        January 12-18, 1997        :        January 11-17, 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 : 7.68   5.56    6.04   8.22   7.43  6.41   6.63    6.54    8.20   7.53 
Appal.  : 6.03   5.72    6.39   7.33   6.84  5.70   5.63    5.95    7.29   6.54 
S. East : 5.70   5.42    5.58   6.66   6.50  7.63   7.47    7.27    7.88   7.80 
Lake    :   3/   4.59    6.19   6.80   7.28  6.82   6.20    6.25    8.26   8.32 
Cornbelt: 7.19   6.06    7.02   7.90   7.56  5.48   7.10    7.41    8.17   7.71 
Delta   : 5.68   5.90    5.80   7.45   6.82  6.84   6.69    6.92    7.53   7.21 
N. Plain: 7.38   7.35      3/   8.01   7.57  5.04   4.89    8.34    8.50   8.22 
S. Plain: 6.21   5.66    5.72   6.29   6.11  6.87   6.68    6.36    7.32   7.04 
Mountain: 7.26   7.84    6.73   6.91   6.92  7.99   7.34    7.23    7.36   7.41 
Pacific : 6.86   6.47    7.69   7.49   7.15  7.92   7.64    7.90    8.71   8.63 
48 State: 6.97   5.97    6.00   7.26   6.97  6.61   6.76    6.93    7.85   7.61 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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      :   January 12-18,    :  October 12-18,  :  January 11-17,  
        Farm        :        1997         :       1997       :       1998       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :          Percent of Field and Livestock Workers           
                    :                                                           
Field Crops         :         12                  24                 14         
Other Crops         :         58                  50                 52         
Livestock, Dairy,   :                                                           
 & Poultry          :         30                  26                 34         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                    Hired Workers:  Distribution by Economic                    
                         Class of Farm, 48 States 1/ 3/                         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Gross Value    :   January 12-18,    :  October 12-18,  :  January 11-17,  
      of Sales      :        1997         :       1997       :       1998       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                 Percent of Hired Workers                  
                    :                                                           
Less than $40,000   :         12                  12                 10         
$40,000-$99,999     :          6                  10                  6         
$100,000-$249,999   :         17                  15                 13         
$250,000 and over   :         65                  63                 71         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
         Hired Workers:  Distribution by Category, United States, 1/ 3/         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             : January 12-18, : October 12-18, : January 11-17, 
                             :      1997      :      1997      :      1998      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :             Percent of Hired Workers             
Employed on Farms Hiring     :                                                  
  1 Worker                   :      13               11               14        
  2 Workers                  :      10               11               10        
  3-6 Workers                :      19               20               22        
  7-10 Workers               :       9                8                7        
  At least 11 Workers        :      49               50               47        
                             :     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 141,000 workers for the Nation's farms   
and ranches during the week of January 11-17, 1998.  Service workers in         
California numbered 59,000 compared with 50,000 during the January 1997 survey  
week.  Florida's number of service workers was 16,000 and compare to 15,800     
last year.                                                                      
                                                                                
The average wage received by agricultural service workers in California and     
Florida were $7.24 and $9.20 per hour, respectively.  Comparable wages in       
January 1997 were $7.10 in California and $8.05 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  
      : 1997  :  1997  :  1998  : 1997  : 1997  : 1998  : 1997  : 1997  : 1998  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      : -------- 1,000 -------    ------- Hours ------      Dollars per Hour    
      :                                                                         
CA    :  50.0    85.0     59.0    32.0    34.5    35.2    7.10    7.37    7.24  
FL    :  15.8     5.7     16.0    37.0    27.2    30.0    8.05    8.29    9.20  
      :                                                                         
US    : 131.0   283.0    141.0                                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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                                                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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 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 11-17, 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 4.8 percent.  The       
relative sampling error for number of hired workers generally ranged between    
10 and 20 percent at the regional level.  The U.S. all hired farm worker wage   
rate had a relative sampling error of 1.3 percent.  The relative sampling       
error was 1.3 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 6 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 7 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,   
1997 and January, 1997 were subject to revision with this report.  Revisions    
were made and previous data are reprinted in this report for your information.  
                                                                                
The May 22nd report will have information for the survey week of April 12-18,   
1998.  The report will include the number of All Hired Workers, Average Hours   
Worked by Hired Workers and the All Hired Worker Wage Rates at the regional     
and U.S. levels. The wage rate for field, livestock, and combined field and     
livestock workers will be available for the regional and U.S. level. The        
number of Agricultural Service Workers and the corresponding wage rates will    
be published for California and Florida.                                        
                               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 1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6             
     January 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8             
                                                                                
Wage Rates by Region and U.S.                                                   
     January 1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5             
     October 1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7             
     January 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9             
                                                                                
Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages                 
     January 1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12             
     October 1997. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12             
     January 1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12             
                                                                                
Other Labor Estimates                                                           
     U.S. Distribution of Workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11             
     Wage Rates by Type of Farm, by Region and 48 States . . . . 10             
     Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm, by Region and 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 May 22, 1998.     
                                                                                
                                                                                
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in  
its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,  
disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status.  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, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington,      
D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD).  USDA is an  
equal employment opportunity employer.                                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
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