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Average farmworker wages continue higher

The USDA says the average farmworker earned $15.02 per hour during October, up four percent compared to the same time last year. 

Farms hired more workers than last year as well, up three percent.

The report lists several categories of farmworkers. Field workers during October earned an average of $14.38 per hour, up five percent.  Livestock workers earned a little less but still three percent more than 2018 at $13.77. 

Farmworkers in the Pacific region earned the most while workers in the Delta earned the least in October.

Farmworker wages were also up four percent during the July labor survey.

The 2019 all hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $14.91 per hour, up five percent from last year.

Increasing wage rates continue to be one of the major areas of contention in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.  Many farmers say the year-over-year wage increases are not sustainable with current commodity prices and production expenses.

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