Missouri Dairy Business Update
Volume 2, Number 6
June 2002

Haymaking around thunderstorms usually results in tight labor supplies around Missouri dairy farms in June. Need an idea of what other dairymen are paying for labor?

Labor Rate Surveys

The following is the latest NASS Farm Labor survey.

Hired Workers:  Wage Rates for Type of Workers and All Hired Workers
                by Region and United States, April 7-13, 2002 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :               Type of Worker               :
      U.S.      :--------------------------------------------:  Wage Rates for
       and      :              :              :Field & Lvstk :All Hired Workers
    Region 2/   :    Field     :  Livestock   :   Combined   :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                       Dollars per Hour
                :
Northeast I     :     8.35           8.56           8.42             9.14
Northeast II    :     8.20           7.01           7.78             8.83
                :
Appalachian I   :     7.42           8.60           7.86             8.45
Appalachian II  :     6.89           7.87           7.31             7.63
                :
Southeast       :     7.28           8.29           7.42             7.94
FL              :     7.75           7.50           7.72             8.57
                :
Lake            :     9.43           8.44           9.01             9.88
                :
Cornbelt I      :     8.59           8.90           8.70             9.23
Cornbelt II     :     7.84           9.82           8.89             9.34
                :
Delta           :     7.05           7.06           7.05             7.50
                :
Northern Plains :     8.48           8.06           8.31             9.22
                :
Southern Plains :     6.92           7.78           7.31             7.95
                :
Mountain I      :     7.55           7.92           7.80             8.00
Mountain II     :     8.06           8.58           8.26             8.95
Mountain III    :     7.51           8.35           7.71             8.21
                :
Pacific         :     8.18           9.45           8.33             9.10
CA              :     8.33          10.20           8.47             9.13
                :
HI 4/           :     9.40                          9.43            11.14
                :
US 3/           :     8.06           8.43           8.15             8.83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
2/  Region map on page 13.
3/  Excludes AK.
4/  Insufficient data for livestock.