Farm Labor, Costs on the Northern Plains

Farm Labor, Costs on the Northern Plains

In the Northern Plains Region (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) there were 34,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on farms and ranches during the week of April 10-16, 2016, down 3% from the April 2015 reference week, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Workers numbered 30,000 during the week of January 10-16, 2016, up 7% from the January 2015 reference week. USDA reports on farm labor quarterly by looking at employment during reference weeks that can be compared from year to year.

Farm operators in the Northern Plains Region paid their hired workers an average wage of $13.99 per hour during the April 2016 reference week, down 1% from the April 2015 reference week. Field workers received an average of $14.10 per hour, down 3 cents. Livestock workers earned $13.08 per hour, down 1 cent. The field and livestock worker combined average wage rate of $13.50 was unchanged from the 2015 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 42.0 hours during the April 2016 reference week, compared with 39.3 hours worked during the April 2015 reference week.

Farm operators paid their hired workers and average wage of $13.96 per hour during the January 2016 reference week, down 4% from the January 2015 reference week. Field workers received an average of $14.39 per hour, down 19 cents from a year earlier. Livestock workers earned $12.83 per hour compared to $13.41 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate of $13.30 was down 50 cents from the January 2015 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.4 hours during the January 2016 reference week, unchanged from the hours worked during the January 2015 reference week.

Nationally, there were 703,000 workers employed by farm and ranch operators during the week of April 10-16, up 2% from the April 2015 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average $12.75 per hour during the April 2016 reference week, up 4% from the April 2015 reference week. Field workers received an average of $12.00 per hour, an increase of 6%. Hired laborers worked an average of 40.4 hours during the April 2016 reference week, compared with 39.9 hours worked during the April 2015 reference week.

Access the national USDA farm labor release.

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