WASHINGTON, DC – Farm labor participation is higher this year than last, according to a report released last week by USDA.
In the October 2021 Farm Labor Survey, farm operators nationwide were asked about the number of hired workers, hours worked, and wages for reference weeks in July and October.
According to the respondents, there were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators during a one-week survey in July (July 11-17, 2021) which is 3 percent higher than the same week one year earlier. Likewise, workers hired directly by farm operators during the week in October totaled 772,000 (October 10-16, 2021), representing a 2 percent increase from October 2020.
For pay, hired workers averaged $16.59 per hour during July, a 6 percent annual increase while averaging 41 hours of work per week, slightly less than in 2020.
For the October reference period, workers averaged 42 hours per week (down slightly from 2020) and saw a 5 percent year-over-year increase in wages, up to an average of $16.59 per hour.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)
