In 1991, 53 percent of hired farmworkers lived in nonmetropolitan areas. Among nonmetro workers, hired farmworkers were more likely to be young, male, Hispanic and to work seasonally. Their weekly income was 67 percent that of all nonmetro workers. About half of nonmetro hired farmworkers had not completed high school. Farm employment was sporadic…

Hired farmworkers make up 1% of all U.S. workers but one-third of production agricultural workers. In 1996, compared to all workers, hired farmworkers earned significantly less and were more likely to be younger, never married, Hispanic, and noncitizens. Over half had not graduated from high school, and three-quarters of noncitizens had only an…

The hourly wages of migrants in Wayne County, New York in 1968 were higher than state or Federal legal requirements. However, for many migrant workers, the irregularity of migrant employment made it less profitable over the harvest than a steady job at the lower legal rates. Moreover, a person who could be employed at a steady job as a…

Drawing upon information provided by a continuous sample of social security records for the 1955-59 period, this study traced year-by-year employment experience of workers who left agriculture, and described their age, race, income, and job status. Estimates of backflow to farms were also studied. The gross out-movement from farm employment was…

Using the basic input-output model developed by the Texas Input-Output Project for a 19 county South Texas Region, income transfer effects from the extension of unemployment insurance to the agricultural sector were derived. Total income transferred would have ranged from $1.5 million to $2.3 million depending upon coverage provisions. About…

The stereotype of rural Hispanic Americans often connotes social problems such as poverty, illegal immigration, and migrant workers. In reality, rural Hispanics are part of a larger demographic trend changing the balance of power and socioeconomic relations among ethnic groups. Part 1 of this paper reviews demographic information.…

Information on the size and composition of the 1972 hired farm working force (HFWF) and on the employment and cash earnings from farm and nonfarm wagework obtained during the year is presented. Data were obtained from a survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census as a supplementary part of the regular Current Population Survey made in December…

Information is given on the number, characteristics, employment, and earnings of persons 14 years of age and over who performed hired farm wagework at any time during 1974. The brief analysis highlights some of the most pertinent changes and trends in the size and composition of the hired farm working force. Data were obtained through a survey…

In 1995, an average 832,000 persons aged 15 and over did hired farmwork each week, receiving median weekly earnings of $260 (compared to $440 for all U.S. workers). The large number of foreign (mostly Mexican) farmworkers contributed to low educational levels. California accounted for 25% of U.S. farm labor expenses, followed by Florida and Texas.…

The report examines characteristics of crew workers (farmworkers who work for contractors) and noncrew workers in 1981 and reviews Federal legislation designed to protect crew workers and to control farm labor contractors. During 1981 approximately 250,000 crew workers comprised 10% of hired farmworkers. Crew workers were 53% White, 28% Hispanic,…

Information is given on the size and composition of the 1971 hired farm working force (HFWF) and on the employment and cash earnings from farm and nonfarm wagework obtained during the year. Data were obtained from a survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census as a supplementary part of the regular Current Population Survey made in December 1971.…

Characteristics of hired farmworkers have changed little during the 1990s. These workers continue to earn about 58 percent as much as all wage and salary workers. Data tables and figures present characteristics of farmworkers and all workers: age, gender, race, educational attainment, citizenship, region, earnings, and occupations. (TD)

Until recently, American farmworkers have been poor and unorganized. As a result, they have been powerless to protect themselves from different forms of discrimination and exploitation. The rights of farmworkers have been traded off by social reformers in State legislatures as well as the Congress. In the last few years, this has begun to change…

In spite of recent advances in mechanization, farmworkers continue to be a vital and necessary element in the harvesting of American crops. However, farmworkers, whether migrant or non-migrant, continue to have the lowest annual income of all occupational groups. The overriding concern is one of powerlessness. Farmworkers have been excluded at the…

To investigate the effect of technological change upon farm labor use, a stratified random sample of 696 farm workers from a population of 12,215 in Kern County, California, provided a basis for analysis. Some major findings were: (1) The high peak of seasonal labor use has been eliminated, (2) The need for migratory labor is decreasing, (3)…