HDR1012000170050516971500FARM LABOR                                             
Farm                                                                            
Labor                                                                           
                                                                                
National                                                                        
Agricultural                                                                    
Statistics                                                                      
Service                                                                         
                                                                                
United States                                                                   
Department of                                                                   
Agriculture                                                                     
                                                                                
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
Released May 16, 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.                                                                   
                                                                                
                                                                                
All Hired Workers Up 3 Percent, Wages Up 5 Percent From Last April              
                                                                                
There were 1.02 million hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during  
the week of April 6-12, 1997, 3 percent more than last year. There were         
809,000 workers hired directly by farm operators.  Agricultural service         
employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 207,000 workers.  Migrant  
workers accounted for 6.3 percent of the hired workforce, compared to           
7.5 percent a year ago.                                                         
                                                                                
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $7.10 per hour       
during the April 1997 survey week, up 34 cents from a year earlier.  Field      
workers received an average of $6.72 per hour, up 41 cents.  Livestock workers  
earned $6.41 per hour compared with $6.22 a year earlier.                       
                                                                                
During the survey week of April 6-12, 1997, a formidable high-pressure system   
chilled the Nation.  Weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 25 degrees F below      
normal throughout the Plains and Midwest.  Despite the chill, major to record   
flooding continued in the Red and upper Mississippi River basins.  Cooler-than- 
normal conditions also encompassed the rest of the Nation, except Florida, where
temperatures averaged up to 5 degrees F above normal.  After midweek, there were
significant snow accumulations from the Central Plains into the Midwest.  Heavy 
rains ranged from southern Kansas to northern Texas.  Farther east, scattered   
showers were from southern Texas to the lower Ohio Valley, but heavy rainfall   
soaked the lower Delta region.  Later in the week, rain spread into the East    
with scattered thunderstorms active in the Southeast.  Early week blizzard      
conditions went across the North Central States.  Midweek snow developed on     
parts of the central Plains.  In California, cotton planting continued while    
small grain fields continued to head out.  Alfalfa and oat acreage were cut for 
hay or green chopped.  Early irrigation was underway in orchards and vineyards  
due to the continued dry spring.  Lemons, grapefruit and oranges were harvested.
Leaf and head lettuce harvest were at their peak in Fresno County.  Broccoli,   
cauliflower, sugar peas, and green onions were harvested.  Summer vegetables and
melons were planted.  Activities in Florida included field preparations for     
numerous spring planted crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, 
cabbage, and cucumbers.  Valencia harvest was very active while other citrus    
harvests were slowing.  In Texas, a few corn fields were planted in the High    
Plains while other planting took place along the Upper Coast.  Cotton planting  
was slowly increasing in parts of the central areas.  Recent heavy rains in many
southern and coastal areas will cause replanting to occur.  In the Rio Grande   
Valley, wet fields have slowed harvest of onions and other vegetables.          
                                                                                
      Farm Labor:  Employment and Wage Rates, United States,                    
              April 6-12, 1997, with Comparisons 1/                             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :  April 7-13,   : January 12-18, :  April 6-12,   
       Farm Employment       :      1996      :      1997      :      1997      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :                      1,000                       
                             :                                                  
Hired Workers                :       780              635              809      
  Expected to be Employed    :                                                  
    150 Days or More         :       599              537              658      
    149 Days or Less         :       181               98              151      
                             :                                                  
Agricultural Services        :                                                  
  Workers Working on Farms   :       207              131              207      
                             :                                                  
Hired Farm & Service Workers :       987              766            1,016      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                     Percent                      
                             :                                                  
Migrant Workers Percent of   :                                                  
 Hired Farm & Service Workers:       7.5              9.5              6.3      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                  Hours per Week                  
                             :                                                  
Hours Worked                 :                                                  
 Hired                       :      40.7             36.5             40.6      
                             :                                                  
                             :                                                  
                             :                 Dollars per Hour                 
                             :                                                  
Wage Rates for               :                                                  
 All Hired Workers 2/ 3/     :      6.76             7.19             7.10      
                             :                                                  
Type of Worker               :                                                  
 Field & Livestock Combined  :      6.28             6.57             6.63      
   Field                     :      6.31             6.60             6.72      
   Livestock                 :      6.22             6.52             6.41      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, April 6-12, 1997 1/                            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                             Hired                             
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
      U.S.      :               :    Expected to be Employed    :               
       and      :    Number     :-------------------------------:    Number     
    Region 2/   :      of       :   150 Days    :   149 Days    :   of hours    
                :    Workers    :    or More    :    or Less    :    Worked     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :      -------------- 1,000 --------------       Hours per Week 
                :                                                               
Northeast I     :       40              31               9            41.0      
Northeast II    :       41              35               6            40.8      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       38              29               9            41.4      
Appalachian II  :       25              17               8            34.2      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       43              35               8            33.8      
FL              :       60              52               8            40.9      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       63              50              13            33.6      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       55              45              10            35.7      
Cornbelt II     :       27              20               7            36.2      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       39              32               7            38.7      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       27              24               3            43.1      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       55              44              11            40.5      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       20              16               4            50.8      
Mountain II     :       22              16               6            40.4      
Mountain III    :       16              14               2            43.2      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :       61              46              15            43.8      
CA              :      171             147              24            45.1      
                :                                                               
HI              :        6               5               1            37.6      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      809             658             151            40.6      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, April 6-12, 1997 1/                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :               Type of Worker               :                  
      U.S.      :--------------------------------------------:  Wage Rates for  
       and      :              :              :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers 
    Region 2/   :    Field     :  Livestock   :   Combined   :                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour                        
                :                                                               
Northeast I     :     7.11           5.67           6.59             7.22       
Northeast II    :     6.62           5.81           6.25             6.94       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     6.45           6.85           6.57             6.76       
Appalachian II  :     5.69           6.28           5.84             6.23       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     7.50           5.70           7.02             7.62       
FL              :     6.50           6.30           6.48             7.19       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     7.50           6.56           6.91             7.31       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     7.28           7.47           7.33             7.91       
Cornbelt II     :     6.76           6.43           6.57             6.64       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     5.96           6.36           6.06             6.50       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     7.96           6.61           7.08             7.73       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.37           5.78           5.57             5.98       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     6.59           4.95           5.65             5.94       
Mountain II     :     6.57           5.93           6.37             6.94       
Mountain III    :     5.78           5.90           5.81             6.24       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     6.71           7.54           6.89             7.36       
CA              :     6.90           8.06           6.99             7.35       
                :                                                               
HI              :     8.81            3/            8.82             9.97       
                :                                                               
US 4/           :     6.72           6.41           6.63             7.10       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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 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             7.45       
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, April 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     :       33              27               6            40.8      
Northeast II    :       35              30               5            38.4      
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :       38              27              11            37.5      
Appalachian II  :       20              13               7            33.6      
                :                                                               
Southeast       :       32              23               9            37.2      
FL              :       50              43               7            38.5      
                :                                                               
Lake            :       59              44              15            36.7      
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :       43              35               8            37.2      
Cornbelt II     :       27              20               7            34.7      
                :                                                               
Delta           :       44              32              12            41.8      
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :       36              28               8            40.5      
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :       64              48              16            41.6      
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :       27              21               6            48.9      
Mountain II     :       15              11               4            43.3      
Mountain III    :       19              16               3            49.2      
                :                                                               
Pacific         :       46              30              16            40.7      
CA              :      185             145              40            43.9      
                :                                                               
HI              :        7               6               1            37.5      
                :                                                               
US 3/           :      780             599             181            40.7      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.                                      
2/  Region map on page 13.                                                      
3/  Excludes AK.                                                                
       Hired Workers:  Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers      
                By Region and United States, April 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     :     7.47           6.20           6.93             7.27       
Northeast II    :     6.62           5.31           6.11             6.78       
                :                                                               
Appalachian I   :     5.60           6.21           5.78             6.03       
Appalachian II  :     5.84           5.75           5.80             6.29       
                :                                                               
Southeast       :     5.52           5.63           5.56             5.96       
FL              :     6.12           7.10           6.27             7.05       
                :                                                               
Lake            :     6.78           6.39           6.56             7.02       
                :                                                               
Cornbelt I      :     6.57           6.76           6.61             7.14       
Cornbelt II     :     6.47           7.00           6.67             6.89       
                :                                                               
Delta           :     5.38           5.74           5.46             5.65       
                :                                                               
Northern Plains :     6.76           5.79           6.32             6.51       
                :                                                               
Southern Plains :     5.38           5.53           5.45             6.12       
                :                                                               
Mountain I      :     5.54           5.29           5.42             5.78       
Mountain II     :     5.60           5.88           5.73             6.53       
Mountain III    :     5.67           6.03           5.74             6.34       
                :                                                               
Pacific         :     6.83           7.22           6.87             7.44       
CA              :     6.53           7.50           6.64             7.14       
                :                                                               
HI              :     8.79            3/            8.76            10.13       
                :                                                               
US 4/           :     6.31           6.22           6.28             6.76       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :       April 7-13, 1996        :       April 6-12, 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       :  6.60    7.34    5.74    6.51    6.87    6.68    5.77    6.30 
Appalachian     :  5.48    5.73    6.07    5.78    5.55    7.01    6.90    6.35 
Southeast       :  4.63    5.41    5.51    5.29    5.35    7.02    4.98    6.51 
Lake            :  5.85    7.35    6.44    6.56    7.87    6.75    6.89    6.91 
Cornbelt        :  6.44    6.21    7.36    6.63    7.70    6.94    6.91    6.96 
Delta           :  5.38    5.03    5.75    5.46    6.02    6.47    6.04    6.06 
Northern Plains :  6.89    5.49    6.12    6.32    7.62    5.91    6.89    7.08 
Southern Plains :  5.47    5.09    5.56    5.45    5.69    5.11    5.82    5.57 
Mountain        :  5.65    5.83    5.43    5.59    6.16    6.54    5.31    5.91 
Pacific         :  6.29    6.64    7.29    6.68    7.21    7.43    7.83    7.33 
48 States       :  5.81    6.40    6.19    6.19    6.30    6.89    6.34    6.60 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
    All Hired Workers:  Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm                   
                    by Region and 48 States 1/                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :         April 7-13, 1996          :         April 6-12, 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  : 5.62   5.67    5.74   7.84   7.02    3/    6.90    6.33   7.23  7.08 
Appal.   : 5.86   5.75    6.54   6.20   6.11   5.95   5.74    6.64   6.88  6.57 
S. East  : 4.96   5.06    5.56   5.70   5.62   5.89   6.41    6.20    3/   8.11 
Lake     : 4.84   6.03    6.65   7.31   7.02   7.27   6.32    6.05   6.89  7.31 
Cornbelt : 6.55   5.65    6.09   7.28   7.05   7.15   7.23    7.59   7.48  7.22 
Delta    : 5.42   5.60    5.51   5.75   5.65   5.91   6.57    6.73   6.56  6.50 
N. Plains: 5.22   7.07    5.24   7.10   6.51   5.84    3/     6.98    3/   7.73 
S. Plains: 5.07   6.76    6.59   6.21   6.12   5.19   5.84    5.89   6.21  5.98 
Mountain : 6.38   5.50    5.76   6.28   6.12   6.32   5.54    5.66   6.67  6.27 
Pacific  : 7.11   6.65    7.07   7.23   7.20   5.04   6.70    7.25   7.41  7.16 
48 States: 5.81   5.87    6.18   6.87   6.73   5.96   6.35    6.49   7.45  7.16 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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      :     April 7-13,     :  January 12-18,  :   April 6-12,    
        Farm        :        1996         :       1997       :       1997       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :          Percent of Field and Livestock Workers           
                    :                                                           
Field Crops         :         23                  12                 21         
Other Crops         :         47                  58                 49         
Livestock, Dairy,   :                                                           
 & Poultry          :         30                  30                 30         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
             Hired Workers:  Distribution by Economic                           
                  Class of Farm, 48 States 1/ 3/                                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Gross Value    :     April 7-13,     :  January 12-18,  :   April 6-12,    
      of Sales      :        1996         :       1997       :       1997       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                 Percent of Hired Workers                  
                    :                                                           
Less than $40,000   :          9                  12                  8         
$40,000-$99,999     :          9                   6                  7         
$100,000-$249,999   :         17                  17                 15         
$250,000 and over   :         65                  65                 70         
                    :        100.0               100.0              100.0       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
  Hired Workers:  Distribution by Category, United States, 1/ 3/                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :  April 7-13,   : January 12-18, :  April 6-12,   
                             :      1996      :      1997      :      1997      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             :             Percent of Hired Workers             
Employed on Farms Hiring     :                                                  
  1 Worker                   :      14               13               11        
  2 Workers                  :      11               10               10        
  3-6 Workers                :      21               19               20        
  7-10 Workers               :      11                9                9        
  At least 11 Workers        :      43               49               50        
                             :     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 207,000 workers for the Nation's farms   
and ranches during the week of April 6-12, 1997, the same as a year ago. Service
workers in California  numbered 90,000 compared with 63,000 during the April    
1996 survey week.  Florida's number of service workers was 13,000, compared to  
10,500 last year.                                                               
                                                                                
The average wages received by agricultural service workers in California and    
Florida were $7.21 and $8.44 per hour, respectively.  Comparable wages in April 
1996 were $6.58 in California and $7.68 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:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
      :  Apr  :  Jan   :  Apr   :  Apr  :  Jan  :  Apr  :  Apr  :  Jan  :  Apr  
      : 1996  :  1997  :  1997  : 1996  : 1997  : 1997  : 1996  : 1997  : 1997  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      : -------- 1,000 -------    ------- Hours ------      Dollars per Hour    
      :                                                                         
CA    :  63.0    50.0     90.0    38.2   *32.0    39.3    6.58    7.10    7.21  
FL    :  10.5    15.8     13.0    31.5    37.0    35.7    7.68    8.05    8.44  
      :                                                                         
US    : 207.0   131.0    207.0                                                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   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             6.3                                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.                                           
                      Farm Labor Definitions                                    
                                                                                
                                                                                
The following definitions are provided to assist in interpreting statistics     
published in quarterly Farm Labor reports.  To insure consistency in data       
collection, the questionnaires and instruction manual used by the interviewers  
provide more in-depth explanations of these terms.                              
                                                                                
                                                                                
Farm or Ranch:  Places that sell, or would normally sell, at least $1000 worth  
                of agricultural products during the year.                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
Agricultural Work:  Work done on a farm or ranch in connection with the         
                    production of agricultural products, including nursery and  
greenhouse products and animal specialties such as fur farms or apiaries.  Also 
included is work done off the farm to handle farm related business, such as     
trips to buy feed or deliver products to local market.                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
Self-employed Worker:  A farm or ranch operator or partner who did at least one 
                       hour of unpaid agricultural work on a farm or ranch      
during the survey week.                                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
Unpaid Worker:  Anyone, other than a self-employed worker, who did at least     
                15 hours of unpaid agricultural work on a farm or ranch during  
the survey week.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Hired Worker:  Anyone, other than an agricultural service worker, who was paid  
               for at least one hour of agricultural work on a farm or ranch.   
Worker type is determined by what the employee was primarily hired to do, not   
necessarily what work was done during the survey week.  Type of workers include:
                                                                                
     Field Workers:  Employees engaged in planting, tending and harvesting crops
                     including operation of farm machinery on crop farms.       
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Livestock Workers:    Employees tending livestock, milking cows or caring  
                          for poultry, including operation of farm machinery on 
     livestock or poultry operations.                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Supervisors:  Hired managers, range foremen, crew leaders, etc.            
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Other Workers:  Employees engaged in agricultural work not included in the 
                     other three categories.  Bookkeepers and pilots are        
     examples.                                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
Methods of Pay:  Wage rates are calculated based on total wages and hours worked
                 during the survey week.                                        
                      Definitions - continued                                   
                                                                                
                                                                                
Perquisites:  Benefits, such as cash bonuses, housing, or meals, provided to an 
              employee in addition to pay are included in perquisites.  Wage    
rates published in this release do not include the value of these benefits.     
                                                                                
                                                                                
Term of Employment:  The length of time during the year the farm operator       
                     expects to employ those workers who were on the payroll    
during the survey week.                                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
Agricultural Service:  Agricultural work performed on a farm or ranch if the    
                       provider of the service is paid on a contract basis for  
materials, equipment, or labor.                                                 
                                                                                
                                                                                
Type of Farm (or Ranch):  An operation is classified in the farm type which     
                          accounts for the largest portion of the total value of
sales for its agriculture production.  The three types of farms are:            
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Field Crops:  A farm primarily engaged in the production of: wheat, rice,  
                   corn, soybeans, barley, dry beans, rye, sorghum, cotton,     
     popcorn, tobacco, potatoes, sugar crops, hay, peanuts, hops, mint, or other
     such crops.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Other Crops:  A farm primarily engaged in the production of:  vegetables,  
                   melons, berry crops, grapes, tree nuts, citrus fruits,       
     deciduous tree fruits, avocados, dates, figs, olives, nursery, or          
     greenhouse crops.                                                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Livestock or Poultry:  An operation primarily engaged in production of:    
                            cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, milk, chickens, eggs,   
     turkeys, or animal specialties such as furs, fish, honey, etc.             
                                                                                
                                                                                
Gross Value of Sales:  Gross value includes all income during a year from the   
                       sale of crops, livestock, dairy, poultry, or other       
related agricultural products, including the landlord's share.  When commodities
are placed under CCC loan, they are considered as sold.                         
                Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates                             
                                                                                
                                                                                
Survey Procedures:  These data were collected by the National Agricultural      
                    Statistics Service during the last two weeks of April 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 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 April 6-12, 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 4.1 percent.  The relative    
sampling error for number of hired workers generally ranged between 8 and       
20 percent at the regional level.  The U.S. all hired farm worker wage rate had 
a relative sampling error of 3.1 percent.  The relative sampling error was      
2.4 percent for the combined field and livestock worker wage rate.  Relative    
sampling errors for the all hired farm worker wage rate generally ranged between
3 and 8 percent at the regional level.  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 April, 1996 and January, 1997 were subject to revision with this report.    
There were no revisions made.                                                   
                                                                                
The August 15th report will have information for the survey week of July 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 regional and U.S.   
levels. The wage rate for field and livestock workers will be available for the 
regional and U.S. level.  The number of self-employed and unpaid workers along  
with the corresponding average hours worked will be available for California,   
Florida, Hawaii, and at the regional and U.S. level.  Wage rates by type of     
worker, 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.                   
  April 1997 ............................................................    4  
  January 1997 ..........................................................    6  
  April 1996 ............................................................    8  
                                                                                
Wage Rates by Region and U.S.                                                   
  April 1997 ............................................................    5  
  January 1997 ..........................................................    7  
  April 1996 ............................................................    9  
                                                                                
Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages                 
  April 1997 ............................................................   12  
  January 1997 ..........................................................   12  
  April 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  
                                                                                
Farm Labor Definitions ..................................................   14  
                                                                                
Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates .....................................    6  
                                                                                
Revision Policy .........................................................   16  
                                                                                
The next "Farm Labor" report will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET on August 15,     
1997.                                                                           
                                                                                
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its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,  
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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's is an    
equal employment opportunity employer.                                          
                                                                                
                                                                                
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