News

Study indicates shortage in migrant workers

A recent study from Ball State University found that the percentage of agricultural workers who migrate within the United States has dropped significantly.

Maoyong Fan says the number of workers has decreased by 60 percent since the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Because the many parts of the agriculture industry rely on short-term labor to meet demand during peak season, Fan felt it was important to find out the reason for the decline.

He says there are two major contributing factors.  “A demographic shift contributes to one-third of the reduction in migration rates,” he says.  “And the macro-economic change contributes to about two-thirds of the reduction in agricultural labor migration rate.”

Fan tells Brownfield because of the regulatory challenges associated with seasonal work, younger Hispanic workers are now finding jobs in cities opposed to farm work.

He says this is creating additional challenges for the workforce that is needed in some sectors of the agriculture industry.  “If the current downward trend of migration continues, and no alternative supply becomes available – such as a revised H2A program or earned legalization program – farmers will probably experience much greater difficulty finding workers during the planting and harvesting season,” he says.

Fan says if farmers have to significantly raise wages it will impact prices consumers pay for crops, like produce and vegetables, which are labor intensive at planting and harvest.

AUDIO: Maoyong Fan, Ball State University