Sp Sy 8 (2-99)

Farm

Labor

National

Agricultural

Statistics

Service

USDA

Washington, D.C.

Released February 19, 1999, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department

of Agriculture. For information on "Farm Labor" call Steve Logan at 202-690-3228, office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Hired Workers Up 5 Percent, Wage Rates Up 4 Percent From a Year Ago

There were 844,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches the week of January 10-16, 1999, up 5

percent from a year ago. There were 689,000 workers hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service

employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 155,000 workers. Migrant workers accounted for 5.7

percent of the January hired workforce compared to 7.3 percent last year.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $7.90 per hour during the January 1999 survey

week, up 29 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $7.21 per hour, up 22 cents from

last January. Livestock workers earned $7.31 per hour compared with $6.97 a year earlier. The Field and

Livestock worker combined wage rate was up 26 cents from last year.

Number of hours worked averaged 37.9 hours for hired workers during the survey week compared with 36.6

hours a year ago.

The largest increases in number of hired farm workers over last year occurred in the Appalachian I (North

Carolina and Virginia), Northeast II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), Pacific (Oregon and

Washington) and California regions. In the Appalachian I region, milder weather gave farm workers more time

for land preparation, general farm maintenance, and tending to livestock during the survey week. Additional

nursery and greenhouse activities contributed to the Northeast II region’s increase in hired farm workers over

last year. Orchard pruning, Christmas tree replanting, and hothouse harvest activities were underway in the

Pacific region. In California, dry weather aided vegetable harvest throughout the State and permitted normal

pruning and fertilizing activities in vineyards and non-citrus fruit orchards. Citrus growers in the San Joaquin

Valley continued to assess freeze damage while picking in southern California citrus groves, not affected by the

freeze, remained active. 

The largest declines in number of hired farm workers from a year ago were in the Corn Belt II (Iowa and

Missouri), Northern Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas), and Mountain I (Idaho,

Montana, and Wyoming) regions. Drier, cooler weather coupled with fewer storms in the Corn Belt II region

helped reduce farm work activity which would normally be spent opening roads and repairing assets usually

affected by bad weather. In the Northern Plains region, mild, breezy conditions prevailed in most areas. Most

farm activity reported for the week was general farm maintenance and tending to livestock. Milder

temperatures in the Mountain I region led to fewer workers being needed to tend to livestock during the survey

week.

Hired farm worker wage rates in most regions were above a year ago. The largest increases occurred in the

Appalachian I, Corn Belt II, and Mountain II (Colorado, Nevada, and Utah) regions. The higher wage rates in

the Appalachian I and Mountain II regions were generally attributable to more maintenance and machinery

work done on farms this year. 

Regions showing the largest declines in hired worker wage rates from last year were Mountain III (Arizona and

New Mexico), and Pacific. Milder temperatures in these regions allowed farmers to hire more seasonal

workers in advance of regular springtime fieldwork. 
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 2 NASS, USDA
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 3 NASS, USDA

Farm Labor: Employment and Wage Rates, United States,

January 10-16, 1999, with Comparisons 1

Farm Employment January 11-17,

1998

October 11-17,

1998

January 10-16,

1999

1,000 1,000 1,000

Hired Workers

 Expected to be Employed

 150 Days or More

 149 Days or Less

Agricultural Services

 Workers Working on Farms

Hired Farm & Service Workers

661

528

133

141

802

983

696

287

263

1,246

689

559

130

155

844

Percent Percent Percent

Migrant Workers Percent of

 Hired Farm & Service Workers 7.3 11.0 5.7

Hours per Week Hours per Week Hours per Week

Hours Worked

 Hired 36.6 42.7 37.9

Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour

Wage Rates for

 All Hired Workers 2 3

Type of Worker

 Field & Livestock Combined

 Field

 Livestock

7.61

6.98

6.99

6.97

7.60

7.17

7.15

7.28

7.90

7.24

7.21

7.31 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.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 4 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region

and United States, January 10-16, 1999 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Hired

Number

of

Workers

Expected to be Employed Number

of Hours

Worked 150 Days

or More

149 Days

or Less

1,000 1,000 1,000 Hours per Week

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI

US 3

30

25

26

22

28

55

42

29

16

24

23

48

14

15

16

45

224

7

689

25

22

20

10

21

48

37

25

13

19

18

39

12

14

15

33

182

6

559

5

3

6

12

7

7

5

4

3

5

5

9

2

1

1

12

42

1

130

37.5

38.3

34.9

27.8

34.4

38.7

34.9

35.6

29.9

32.6

35.5

38.4

37.4

42.7

43.4

37.1

41.1

36.7

37.9 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 5 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Workers and All Hired Workers

by Region and United States, January 10-16, 1999 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Type of Worker Wage Rates for

All Hired Workers Field Livestock Field & Lvstk

Combined

Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI 4

US 3

8.08

7.79

7.14

5.60

6.84

7.35

8.43

8.01

7.36

6.99

7.83

6.49

7.36

7.29

6.66

7.80

7.08

9.38

7.21

6.61

6.13

7.47

7.39

6.84

7.00

7.33

7.82

7.35

6.35

7.56

6.58

7.35

7.36

7.06

8.93

8.40

7.31

7.20

6.99

7.25

6.39

6.84

7.32

7.59

7.89

7.35

6.68

7.62

6.53

7.35

7.33

6.75

7.96

7.22

9.35

7.24

7.75

8.01

7.76

6.89

7.18

8.25

8.48

8.46

7.86

7.20

8.10

6.93

7.80

8.41

7.18

8.70

7.88

10.80

7.90 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK. 4 Insufficient data for livestock.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 6 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region

and United States, October 11-17, 1998 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Hired

Number

of

Workers

Expected to be Employed Number

of Hours

Worked 150 Days

or More

149 Days

or Less

1,000 1,000 1,000 Hours per Week

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI

US 3

43

32

44

27

38

47

59

53

28

40

33

53

33

23

25

85

312

8

983

31

24

27

12

30

42

38

34

20

29

21

37

21

19

21

41

242

7

696

12

8

17

15

8

5

21

19

8

11

12

16

12

4

4

44

70

1

287

39.6

38.4

37.5

31.5

38.6

43.0

39.6

39.6

38.6

49.2

39.7

39.0

48.3

47.0

46.8

37.2

47.7

36.6

42.7 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 7 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers

By Region and United States, October 11-17, 1998 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Type of Worker Wage Rates for

All Hired Workers Field Livestock Field & Lvstk

Combined

Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI 4

US 3

7.52

7.11

6.60

6.23

6.46

7.10

8.23

7.43

7.23

5.85

7.65

6.14

6.89

6.37

6.55

7.76

7.29

9.20

7.15

6.90

6.74

7.38

6.92

6.45

7.30

7.40

7.76

8.20

7.07

6.03

6.58

6.72

7.33

6.33

8.76

7.99

7.28

7.32

6.98

6.73

6.40

6.46

7.13

7.99

7.49

7.56

6.05

7.24

6.28

6.85

6.82

6.52

7.86

7.34

9.17

7.17

7.82

7.59

7.08

6.73

6.63

7.82

8.45

7.90

8.03

6.48

7.57

6.77

7.03

7.32

7.00

8.25

7.75

10.65

7.60 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK. 4 Insufficient data for livestock.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 8 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region

and United States, January 11-17, 1998 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Hired

Number

of

Workers

Expected to be Employed Number

of Hours

Worked 150 Days

or More 3

149 Days

or Less 3

1,000 1,000 1,000 Hours per Week

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI

US 3

32

20

20

23

31

51

41

32

26

27

33

52

19

14

17

36

180

7

661

28

17

16

14

24

41

35

28

17

20

28

44

16

12

15

31

136

6

528

4

3

4

9

7

10

6

4

9

7

5

8

3

2

2

5

44

1

133

38.0

38.7

35.1

30.9

35.1

38.3

32.1

34.1

31.5

29.2

39.4

38.5

33.6

35.8

42.0

36.0

38.9

35.3

36.6 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 9 NASS, USDA

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers

By Region and United States, January 11-17, 1998 1

U.S.

and

Region 2

Type of Worker Wage Rates for

All Hired Workers Field Livestock Field & Lvstk

Combined

Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour

Northeast I

Northeast II

Appalachian I

Appalachian II

Southeast

FL

Lake

Cornbelt I

Cornbelt II

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain I

Mountain II

Mountain III

Pacific

CA

HI 4

US 3

8.60

7.45

6.50

6.44

7.13

7.45

7.74

7.51

6.82

6.94

8.34

6.59

6.53

7.22

6.63

7.67

6.62

8.88

6.99

6.22

6.08

6.66

5.71

6.09

8.00

7.16

7.62

6.43

6.30

7.38

6.65

6.80

6.89

6.61

8.16

8.36

6.97

6.96

6.80

6.57

6.10

6.70

7.49

7.35

7.57

6.50

6.70

7.65

6.61

6.74

7.00

6.63

7.81

6.85

8.84

6.98

7.54

7.51

6.97

6.33

*7.21

8.22

8.32

8.31

7.08

7.21

8.22

7.04

7.26

7.65

7.34

8.86

7.38

10.24

7.61 * Revised. 1 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers. 2 Region map on page 13. 3 Excludes AK. 4 Insufficient data for livestock.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 10 NASS, USDA

Field and Livestock Workers Combined: Wage Rates, by Type

of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1

Region 2

January 11-17, 1998 January 10-16, 1999

Field

Crops

Other

Crops

L’stk &

Poultry

All

Farms

Field

Crops

Other

Crops

L’stk &

Poultry

All

Farms

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Northeast

Appalachian

Southeast

Lake

Cornbelt

Delta

Northern Plains

Southern Plains

Mountain

Pacific

48 States

7.84

6.17

6.95

7.72

7.14

7.20

3/

6.43

6.28

3/

7.29

8.06

6.88

7.35

7.50

7.26

7.18

3/

7.09

6.73

6.81

6.84

6.36

5.99

7.11

7.26

7.05

5.91

7.22

6.43

6.88

3/

7.06

7.10

6.32

7.23

7.35

7.11

6.70

7.65

6.61

6.77

7.76

6.98

7.18

6.41

8.23

9.53

8.08

7.17

7.86

6.09

3/ 

8.91

7.54

7.97

7.27

6.96

8.70

7.93

6.82

7.90

6.61

6.76

7.61

7.16

6.49

6.98

7.23

7.19

7.53

6.04

7.41

6.64

7.17

9.12

7.31

7.16

6.95

7.02

7.59

7.66

6.68

7.62

6.53

7.16

8.07

7.24

All Hired Workers: Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm

by Region and 48 States 1

Region 2

January 11-17, 1998 January 10-16, 1999

Gross Value Sales-$1000's All

Farms

Gross Value Sales-$1000's All

<40 40-99 100-249 250+ <40 40-99 100-249 250+ Farms

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour Dollars per Hour Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

N. East

Appal.

S. East

Lake

Cornbelt

Delta

N. Plains

S. Plains

Mountain

Pacific

48 States

6.41

5.70

7.63

6.82

5.48

6.84

5.04

6.87

7.99

7.92

6.61

6.63

5.63

7.47

6.20

7.10

6.69

4.89

6.68

7.34

7.64

6.76

6.54

5.95

7.27

6.25

7.41

6.92

8.34

6.36

7.23

7.90

6.93

8.20

7.29

7.88

8.26

8.17

7.53

8.50

7.32

7.36

8.71

7.85

7.53

6.54

7.80

8.32

7.71

7.21

8.22

7.04

7.41

8.63

7.61

7.48

3/

8.81

3/

3/

5.92

3/

6.72

6.59

8.29

7.52

6.81

3/

8.31

7.01

8.04

5.03

3/

6.84

6.39

7.47

7.41

6.37

7.19

6.94

6.68

6.68

5.51

7.62

6.63

6.86

7.08

6.89

8.44

7.38

7.90

8.98

8.74

8.29

8.24

7.05

8.05

8.12

8.13

7.87

7.41

7.92

8.48

7.27

7.20

8.10

6.93

7.78

8.01

7.90 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.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 11 NASS, USDA

Field and Livestock Workers: Distribution

by Type of Farm, 48 States 1 2 3

Type of

Farm

January 11-17,

1998

October 11-17,

1998

January 10-16,

1999

Percent of Field and Livestock Workers Percent of Field and Livestock

Workers

Percent of Field and Livestock

Workers

Field Crops

Other Crops

Livestock, Dairy,

 & Poultry

14

52

34

100.0

14

62

24

100.0

9

60

31

100.0

Hired Workers: Distribution by Economic

Class of Farm, 48 States 1 3

Gross Value

of Sales

January 11-17,

1998

October 11-17,

1998

January 10-16,

1999

Percent of Hired Workers Percent of Hired Workers Percent of Hired Workers

Less than $40,000

$40,000-$99,999

$100,000-$249,999

$250,000 and over

10

6

13

71

100.0

10

8

15

67

100.0

10

7

13

70

100.0

Hired Workers: Distribution by Category, United States, 1 3

January 11-17,

1998

October 11-17,

1998

January 10-16,

1999

Percent of Hired Workers Percent of Hired Workers Percent of Hired Workers

Employed on Farms Hiring

 1 Worker

 2 Workers

 3-6 Workers

 7-10 Workers

 At least 11 Workers

14

10

22

7

47

100.0

9

9

20

9

53

100.0

13

10

18

8

51

100.0 1 48 States, excluding AK and HI. 2 Field and Livestock Workers combined. 3 Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 12 NASS, USDA

Agricultural Services

Crew leaders and custom crews provided 155,000 workers for the Nation's farms and ranches during the week

of January 10-16, 1999. Service workers in California numbered 65,000 this January compared with 59,000

last year. Florida's number of service workers was 12,000, compared to 16,000 last year.

The average wage received by agricultural service workers in California and Florida were $7.75 and $8.50

per hour, respectively. Comparable wages in January 1998 were $7.24 in California and $8.80 in Florida.

Agricultural Service Workers: Number, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates,

for California, Florida, and United States 1

State

Number of Workers

Working on Farms

Hours

Worked 2

Wage

Rates 2 3

Jan

1998

Oct

1998

Jan

1999

Jan

1998

Oct

1998

Jan

1999

Jan

1998

Oct

1998

Jan

1999

1,000 1,000 1,000 Hours Hours Hours Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

Dollars per

Hour

CA

FL

US

59.0

16.0

141.0

95.0

*6.0

263.0

65.0

12.0

155.0

35.2

30.0

*39.5

30.0

37.7

35.0

7.24

*8.80

*7.00

*8.05

7.75

8.50

* 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), 1995-99 1

Year Jan Apr Jul Oct

Percent Percent Percent Percent

1995 2

1996

1997

1998

1999

N/A

5.7

9.5

7.3

5.7

N/A

7.5

6.3

6.6

12.4

13.1

10.8

13.7

11.6

11.1

11.2

11.0

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 Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 13 NASS, USDA

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.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 14 NASS, USDA

Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates

Survey Procedures: These data were collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service 

 (NASS) 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 NASS list of farms; those not

found on the list are included in the labor survey sample to represent all farms. This methodology is known

as multiple frame sampling, with an area sample used to measure the incompleteness of the list. 

Additionally, a list of agricultural service firms was sampled in California and Florida. The survey reference

week was January 10-16, 1999. The Survey in California was jointly conducted with the California

Employment Development Department.

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 5.2 percent. The relative sampling error for the number of

hired workers generally ranged between 11 and 27 percent at the regional level. The U.S. all hired farm

worker wage rate had a relative sampling error of 1.1 percent. The relative sampling error was 1.0 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 11 percent at the regional levels. Relative sampling errors for

wage rates published by type of farm and economic class of farm ranged between 3 and 22 percent at the

regional level.

Nonsampling errors can occur in a complete census as well as in sample surveys. They are caused by the

inability to obtain correct information from each operation sampled, differences in interpreting questions or

definitions, and mistakes in editing, coding, or processing the data. Special efforts are taken at each step of

the survey to minimize nonsampling errors.

Revision Policy: Farm labor information is subject to revision the next time the information is 

 published or the year after the original publication date. The basis for revision must be

supported by additional data that directly affect the level of the estimate. Worker numbers and wage rates for

January 1998 and October 1998 were subject to revision with this report. Revisions were made and previous

data are reprinted in this report for your information. The May 21st report will have information for the

survey week of April 11-17, 1999. 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.
Farm Labor Agricultural Statistics Board

February 1999 15 NASS, USDA

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 1998 .........................................................................4

October 1998 ........................................................................6

January 1999 .........................................................................8

Wage Rates by Region and U.S.

January 1998 .........................................................................5

October 1998 ........................................................................7

January 1999 .........................................................................9

Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages

January 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

October 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

January 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 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 p.m. ET on May 21, 1999.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis

of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital

or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should

contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or

TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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