Hired farmworkers make up less than 1 percent of U.S. wage and salary workers, but they make a major contribution to agricultural production by providing labor during critical production periods. Although important to agriculture, hired farmworkers continue to be one of the most economically disadvantaged groups in the United States. ERS research contributes to the understanding of the supply of and demand for agricultural labor, socioeconomic characteristics of the agricultural work force, and implications of changing U.S. policies and programs for farm employment and wages.

Publications (see all)

• Farm Household Economics and Well-Being
• Farm Structure
• Rural Income, Poverty, and Welfare
• Rural Labor and Education
• Rural Population and Migration