This chapter examines trends in the agricultural workforce in developed countries, including both hired and family labour used in farm production. Trends show that while agricultural employment has declined significantly over time, this trend has been coupled with an increasing proportion of the agricultural workforce that is hired. Adjustments in the workforce are attributable to changes in labour supply, demand for labour, external labour markets, and agricultural and labour policies. Employers are affected as are communities adjacent to farms that help to provide services for farm workers. The extent to which communities are affected is related to labour demand and external labour market conditions, specifically the tightness or looseness of the labour market for local labour. If local labour cannot be hired to fulfill the need for labour in farming, local communities are likely to be affected by an influx of workers from outside the community. The impacts on local communities will vary in part depending on the size and demographic characteristics of the immigrant population.
Citrus and fresh vegetable growers rely on a large number of seasonal farm workers to plant, grow, harvest and pack the crops. Citrus acreage has risen dramatically, particularly in southwest Florida, USA, with a corresponding increased concern about availability of harvesting labour. Due to the concerns over having an adequate number of farm workers, agricultural and community leaders in southwest Florida are interested in documenting the current size and demographic profile of farm workers in the region. This chapter summarizes survey results (conducted during agricultural seasons of 1997/98 and 1998/99) for the area and considers some of the options that agricultural employers and community leaders are considering that may attract a sufficient number of farm workers in the foreseeable future.
This chapter examines changes in farm technology, farm labour (including hired and contract labour) and other inputs, and aggregated agricultural output and productivity for California, Florida and US agriculture from 1960-96. Summaries for subperiods on either side of the US Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 are also presented. A major conclusion is that the relatively abundant and reliable supply of immigrant farm workers in the USA has slowed the discovery, development and adoption of mechanized technologies for agriculture, especially in vegetable and fruit production.
This book focuses on labour used in agriculture in the USA, Canada and Australia. Changes in the hired farm workforce, area studies and community impacts and responses, and the need for community services, are discussed. It is divided into 3 sections. Section 1 provides an overview of changes in agricultural employment in developed countries, trends in the farm workforce, and the effects of technology on labour use in production agriculture. Section 2 presents a series of studies from different disciplinary perspectives that focus on the issues faced by farm labourers, their employers and local communities. Section 3 examines the health and safety of the farm worker population. The book concludes with a comparison of 2 of the major data sources used. It consists of 18 chapters and is indexed.
This chapter compares two national data sets commonly used in the USA for empirical research on farm workers: the Current Population Survey (CPS); and the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS). As the major national survey of employment in the USA, the CPS covers farm workers as well as employees in other industries in the USA. These data are compared with the NAWS, a major survey of crop workers employed on US farms. The samples for the CPS and NAWS are shown to be very different, even if crop workers (only) from the CPS Annual Earnings File are compared with the NAWS data. Unlike the CPS sample, the NAWS sample includes the (large and significant) segment of the farm worker population that shows a marked degree of mobility and is very likely to be unauthorized. Farm workers in the NAWS are more likely to be Hispanic, have very low levels of education and are younger than in the CPS. The NAWS also specifically shows that, compared with the past, US farm workers are more likely to be solo males working on farms in the USA but spending at least part of the year 'at home' in Mexico. They are also not likely to access public support systems in the USA, despite their low incomes. Finally, their earnings and incomes are difficult to compare with those of other low-income workers in the USA because only US earnings are included in the NAWS data. Inter-industry comparisons with the CPS are possible but, again, a portion of the farm worker population is missed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.