The US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will continue its biannual survey to collect information about hired labor from more than 2,500 Northern Plains farmers and ranchers.
NASS Northern Plains Region Field Office director Nicholas Streff says data from the Agricultural Labor Survey helps administer farm labor programs. He says USDA and the US Department of Labor use the results of this survey to estimate the demand for and availability of seasonal agricultural workers, establish minimum wage rates for agricultural workers, administer farm labor recruitment and placement service programs and assist legislators in determining labor policies.
In the survey, NASS asks participants to answer a variety of questions about hired farm labor on their operations, including total number of hired farm workers, hours worked and wages paid for the weeks of July 12-18 and October 11-17. For their convenience and safety, survey participants have the option to respond by mail or online at agcounts.usda.gov. Survey responses are protected by federal law (Title 5 Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347), which keeps respondent identity and answers confidential.
Streff says by asking about two separate reference periods each time they collect data, they’re are able to publish quarterly data and capture seasonal variations. He says this approach reduces the number of times USDA NASS asks farm operations to respond to surveys while ensuring accurate and timely data is available for anyone conducting research or analyses.
NASS will compile, analyze, and publish survey results in the Farm Labor report. All previous Farm Labor publications are available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications.
For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northern Plains Region Field Office at (800) 582-6443.
