Farm owners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota employed 57,000 agricultural workers during the week of October 10-17. According to the USDA's latest farm labor report, the average number of hours worked per employee was 41.3, with the average wage rate for all hired agricultural workers at $15.72 per hour.
During the survey week, farmers in Wisconsin were busy harvesting corn and soybeans, hauling manure, making hay and doing fall tillage. An employee is classified as a livestock worker if they tend livestock, milk cows, care for poultry, or operate machinery on livestock farms.
Livestock workers in the region earned an average of $14.28 per hour during the reference week. Field workers were paid about $15.75 per hour.
Nationally, the average number of hours worked for all hired workers was 42.1. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $15.87 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $15.28 per hour, while livestock workers averaged $14.62 per hour.
Categories: Michigan, Business, Wisconsin, Business