Number of Farm Laborers, Wages Rise in Latest Ag Labor Report
There were 63,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) during the reference week of July 10-16, 2022, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor report.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $18.49 per hour, $2.47 above July 2021. The number of hours worked averaged 41.3 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 40.4 hours in July 2021.
During the reference week of October 9-15, 2022, there were 69,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin).
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $18.83 per hour during the October 2022 reference week, $2.26 above October 2021. The number of hours worked averaged 42.9 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 41.3 hours in October 2021.
There were 785,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of October 9-15, 2022, up 2 percent from the October 2021 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 797,000 during the week of July 10-16, 2022, unchanged from the July 2021 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $17.72 per hour during the October 2022 reference week, up 7 percent from the October 2021 reference week. Field workers received an average of $17.04 per hour, up 6 percent. Livestock workers earned $16.52 per hour, up 7 percent. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $16.90 per hour, was up 6 percent from the 2021 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.8 hours during the October 2022 reference week, down slightly from the hours worked during the October 2021 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $17.63 per hour during the July 2022 reference week, up 6 percent from the July 2021 reference week.
Field workers received an average of $16.80 per hour, up 4 percent, while livestock workers earned $16.65 per hour, up 10 percent from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $16.76 per hour, was up 6 percent from the July 2021 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.1 hours during the July 2022 reference week, up slightly from the hours worked during the July 2021 reference week.
The 2022 all hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $17.56 per hour, up 7 percent from the 2021 annual average gross wage rate. The 2022 field worker annual average gross wage rate was $16.77 per hour, up 6 percent from the 2021 annual average. The 2022 livestock worker annual average gross wage rate was $16.29 per hour. The 2022 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $16.62, up 7 percent from the 2021 annual average of $15.56 per hour.
