Farm owners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota employed 56,000 agricultural workers during the week of April 10-16. According to the latest USDA Farm Labor Report, the average number of hours worked per employee in the region was 38.4, with the average wage rate for all hired farm workers at $17.45 per hour. That's about $1.70 more than the same time a year earlier.
During the survey week, farmers in Wisconsin were very busy preparing equipment for the upcoming growing season, hauling manure and doing some tillage work. 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 $16.22 per hour during the reference week. Field workers in the three-state area made $17.36 per hour.
Nationally, the average number of hours worked for all hired workers was 39.7. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average of $17.22 per hour. Field workers received $16.50 per hour, while livestock workers averaged $15.82 per hour.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business