There were 23,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri) during the reference week of July 7-13, 2019, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor Report. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $15.08 per hour, up $1.24 from July 2018. The number of hours worked averaged 37.2 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 33.4 hours in July 2018.
During the reference week of October 6-12, 2019, there were 26,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri). Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $15.10 per hour during the October 2019 reference week, up $0.57 from October 2018. The number of hours worked averaged 38.3 for hired workers during the reference week, up from 35.6 hours in October 2018.
There were 809,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of October 6-12, 2019, up 3 percent from the October 2018 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 802,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2019, down 5 percent from the July 2018 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $15.02 per hour during the October 2019 reference week, up 4 percent from the October 2018 reference week. Field workers received an average of $14.38 per hour, up 5 percent. Livestock workers earned $13.77 per hour, up 3 percent. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $14.21 per hour, was up 4 percent from the 2018 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 42.5 hours during the October 2019 reference week, up 2 percent from the hours worked during the October 2018 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $14.91 per hour during the July 2019 reference week, up 4 percent from the July 2018 reference week. Field workers received an average of $14.19 per hour, up 4 percent, while livestock workers earned $13.79 per hour, up 4 percent from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $14.08 per hour, was up 4 percent from the July 2018 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.7 hours during the July 2019 reference week, up 1 percent from the hours worked during the July 2018 reference week.
The 2019 all hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $14.91 per hour, up 5 percent from the 2018 annual average gross wage rate. The 2019 field worker annual average gross wage rate was $14.11 per hour, up 6 percent from the 2018 annual average. The 2019 livestock worker annual average gross wage rate was $13.74 per hour. The 2019 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $13.99, up 6 percent from the 2018 annual average of $13.25 per hour.