Social and Economic Characteristics of Spanish-Origin Hired Farmworkers in 1973. Agricultural Economic Report No. 349.

Differences between Spanish-origin and other ethnic groups of farm wageworkers were investigated by comparative analyses of age, sex, education, migratory status, employment, and earnings. Farmworkers were defined as persons 14 years of age and over in the civilian noninstitutional population who did farmwork for wages at some time during 1973, even if only for 1 day. Farmwork included production, harvesting, and delivery of agricultural commodities, as well as management of a farm if done for cash wages. Data were obtained in December 1973 from the annual Hired Farm Working Force survey conducted as a supplementary part of the Current Population Survey. Interviews were conducted with approximately 45,000 households drawn from 461 areas, including 923 counties and independent cities, covering each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Findings indicated that: 13% of the 2.7 million persons employed as hired farmworkers were of Spanish origin while 73% were Anglo; 33% of the migratory farmwork force were of Spanish origin, 63% were Anglo, and 4% were black and others; Spanish origin farmworkers were older and had very low levels of educational achievement; and while their farm earnings were generally higher, large household size, high dependency rates, and a smaller income from nonfarm jobs reduced this economic advantage. (NQ)