USDA PUBLISHES WINTER LABOR STATISTICS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released the results of its Winter Farm Labor Survey in Florida. USDA estimates that there were 58,000 hired farmworkers on Florida’s farms during the report period (January 8-14, 2006), which is an increase of 13,000 workers from the October 2005 survey, and 2,000 more hired workers than a year earlier.

Workers averaged $8.80 per hour, 22¢ more than the October 2005 survey and 29¢ more than last year’s survey. The survey estimates that agricultural service firms (mostly farm labor contractors) in Florida employed 9,000 workers. All hired workers employed by farmers averaged 39.4 hours of work per week, making the
average weekly wage $346.72 (39.4 x $8.80).

Nationally, there were 796,000 hired workers in the nation’s farms. Field and livestock workers averaged $9.20 per hour. Hired farmworkers collectively across the country worked an average of 38.2 hours per week, with average weekly earnings of $351.44 (38.2 x $9.20).