Return to:
Publication List

2005 April Ag Labor Survey Results

NEW MEXICO-ARIZONA: There were 18,000 hired workers on farms and ranches in New Mexico and Arizona during the week of April 10-16, 2005, up 6 percent from last April. Average hours worked by all hired workers dropped to 44.8 hours a week compared to 45.7 hours last year. Wage rates for field workers were up from last April to $7.95 an hour, an increase of 40 cents. Livestock worker wages also increased to $9.40, compared to $8.20 an hour in April 2004. Overall, average wage rates for all hired agricultural workers improved to $9.18 an hour, up 10 percent from this time last year.

UNITED STATES: There were 978,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of April 10-16, 2005, down 10 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 746,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 232,000 workers. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $9.34 per hour during the April 2005 reference week, up 11 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $8.55 per hour, up 8 cents from last April, while livestock workers earned $9.23 per hour compared with $8.95 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $8.73 per hour, was up 14 cents from last year.

Workers on Farms, Hours worked Per Week, and Wage Rates for All Hired Workers,
Selected Regions and U.S., April 2004-2005 1/

        
Mountain II 2/
Mountain III 3/
Southern Plains 4/
United States 5/
Apr 11-17 Apr 10-16 Apr 11-17 Apr 10-16 Apr 11-17 Apr 10-16 Apr 11-17 Apr 10-16
2004
2005
2004
2005
2004
2005
2004
2005
Workers on Farms ----------------------------------------------------------Thousands-------------------------------------------------
All Hired Workers 26 20 17 18 46 55 827 746
Hours Worked ----------------------------------------------------Hours Per Week-----------------------------------------------
All Hired Workers 40.8 41.6 45.7 44.8 41.0 42.3 40.6 39.8
Wages By Worker Type -----------------------------------------------------Dollars Per Hour----------------------------------------------
Field 9.66 7.70 7.55 7.95 7.50 8.13 8.47 8.55
Livestock 8.83 8.41 8.20 9.40 7.93 9.15 8.95 9.23
Field & Livestock 9.29 8.02 7.81 8.51 7.62 8.53 8.59 8.73
All Workers 9.84 8.50 8.37 9.18 8.13 9.28 9.23 9.34
1/ Excludes agricultural service workers. 2/ Mountain Region II consists of CO, NV & UT. 3/ Mountain Region III consists
of AZ & NM. 4/ Southern Plains region consists of OK & TX. 5/ Excludes AK.


Return to:
Publication List