Farm labor data gathered

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its biannual Agricultural Labor Survey in October.

The survey will collect information about hired labor from over 530 Illinois farmers and ranchers. NASS will publish survey results November 23 in the Farm Labor report available on the NASS website. In the survey, NASS asks producers to answer a variety of questions about hired farm labor on their operations, including total number of hired farm workers, the total hours worked, and total wages paid for the weeks of July 10-16 and October 9-15.

Survey participants can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.

“Agricultural labor data are critical in helping producers when hiring workers and estimating expenses,” said Mark Schleusener, NASS’s Illinois State Statistician. “The data that farm operators provide through NASS’s Agricultural Labor Survey also allow federal policymakers to base farm labor policies on accurate information.”

USDA and the U.S. Department of Labor use the results of this survey to estimate the demand for and availability of seasonal agricultural workers, establish minimum wage rates for agricultural workers, administer farm labor recruitment and placement service programs, and assist legislators in determining labor policies.

“By asking about two separate time periods each time we collect data during the year, we are able to publish biannual data and capture seasonal variation,” said Schleusener.

“This approach reduces the number of times we survey farms, while ensuring that accurate and timely data are available.”

All previous Farm Labor publications are available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Heartland Regional Office at (800) 551-1014. Participants can visit youtu.be/6oWSOjGTQzU for further instructions on completing the survey.