E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Joseph Morse
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

www.nass.usda.gov/ny



                              HIRED FARM LABOR



The 2007 Census of Agriculture found 59,683 workers on 9,273 farms for the
state of New York, according to Steve Ropel, Director of USDA’s National
Agricultural Statistics Service, New York field office.  The number of
farms in New York with hired farm labor is down 12 percent from the 2002
Census of Agriculture level of 10,494 farms with hired farm labor.  Payroll
expenses for hired farm labor were $583.1 million in 2007, up 30 percent
from the 2002 level of $448.9 million.  The number of hired farm workers
who worked 150 days or more totaled 23,993 while 35,690 workers worked less
than 150 days during 2007.



The Census, which is conducted every five years, provides facts and figures
on virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture, including number and types
of farm operations, the economic aspects of farm production and the
demographics of U.S. farm operators.



Details on this and other Census data can be found on-line through the New
York NASS website: www.nass.usda.gov/ny/. U.S., State and County tables are
available in PDF, Text, and CSV files. Printed copies will be available
along with the CD-ROMS and a searchable database.  For further information
or assistance, please call the New York office at 800-821-1276 or send an
e-mail to: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov.



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9-16-09