Summer Data
There were 62,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) during the reference week of July 7-13, 2024. This is according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor report.
Nationwide, workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 808,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2024, up 3 percent from the July 2023 reference week.
Lake Region farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $18.40 per hour, $1.24 below July 2023. The number of hours worked averaged 41.2 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 42.8 hours in July 2023.
Nationally, farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $18.95 per hour during the July 2024 reference week, up 2 percent from the July 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.36 per hour, up 2 percent, while livestock workers earned $17.36 per hour, up 2 percent from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.08 per hour, was up 2 percent from the July 2023 reference week.
Hired laborers across the U.S. worked an average of 40.6 hours during the July 2024 reference week, down 1 percent from the hours worked during the July 2023 reference week.
Fall Data
During the reference week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, there were 65,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Lake Region (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin).
Nationwide, there were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, up 3 percent from the October 2023 reference week.
Lake Region farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $19.46 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, 92 cents below October 2023.
U.S. farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $19.11 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, up 2 percent from the October 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.57 per hour, up 2 percent. Livestock workers earned $17.51 per hour, up 2 percent. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.27 per hour, was up 2 percent from the 2023 reference week.
The number of hours worked averaged 41.7 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 42.8 hours in October 2023 in the Lake Region.
U.S. hired laborers worked an average of 41.4 hours during the October 2024 reference week, down 1 percent from the hours worked during the October 2023 reference week.
