In the Northern Plains Region (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) there were 33,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on farms and ranches during the week of April 10-16, 2022, down 6% from the April 2021 reference week, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Workers numbered 27,000 during the week of Jan. 9-15, 2022, unchanged from the January 2021 reference week.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $17.63 per hour during the April 2022 reference week, up 7% from the April 2021 reference week. Field workers received an average of $17.43 per hour, up $0.88. Livestock workers earned $16.56 per hour, up $1.16 from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $16.94, was up $0.99 from the April 2021 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 43.7 hours during the April 2022 reference week, compared with 43.0 hours worked during the April 2021 reference week.

Farm operators in the Northern Plains Region paid their hired workers an average wage of $17.99 per hour during the January 2022 reference week, up 8% from the January 2021 reference week. Field workers received an average of $17.45 per hour, up $0.51. Livestock workers earned $16.56 per hour, up $1.42 from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $16.89, was up $1.04 from the January 2021 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 43.3 hours during the January 2022 reference week, compared with 42.0 hours worked during the January 2021 reference week.