Farm owners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota employed 69,000 agricultural workers during the week of October 9-15. According to the USDA's latest farm labor report, the average number of hours worked per employee was 42.9, with the average wage rate for all hired agricultural workers at $18.83 per hour.
During the survey week, farmers in Wisconsin were very 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 $17.52 per hour during the reference week. Field workers were paid about $18.26 per hour.
Nationally, the average number of hours worked for all hired workers was 41.8. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $17.72 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $17.04 per hour, while livestock workers averaged $16.52 per hour.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business