Data from the 2017-2018 National Agricultural Workers Survey
Last updated: October 2021
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INTRODUCTION
This fact sheet presents key statistics on the health of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers from data collected primarily from 2,586 agricultural workers by the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) during the fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (most recent available data).[1] The NAWS provides information about the employment, demographic, and health characteristics of crop workers, and workers engaged in support activities for crop production. Health data covers health history, occupational health, and access to health care.
LIMITATIONS
The NAWS is a valuable source of information but has several limitations. The survey includes workers on farms, orchards, greenhouses and nurseries, but it does not include workers employed in animal production, dairies, or aquaculture. The survey covers a variety of farm jobs, including some supervisory positions. The NAWS includes workers regardless of immigration status but excludes H-2A guest workers, agricultural workers from other countries in the U.S. on temporary work visas. The NAWS interviews workers in their workplaces rather than their homes. The interviewed workers work for employers who consent to data collection by NAWS staff.
GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
Figure 1: Age Distribution of Agricultural Workers, 2017 -2018
This fact sheet presents key statistics on the health of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers from data collected primarily from 2,586 agricultural workers by the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) during the fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (most recent available data).[1] The NAWS provides information about the employment, demographic, and health characteristics of crop workers, and workers engaged in support activities for crop production. Health data covers health history, occupational health, and access to health care.
LIMITATIONS
The NAWS is a valuable source of information but has several limitations. The survey includes workers on farms, orchards, greenhouses and nurseries, but it does not include workers employed in animal production, dairies, or aquaculture. The survey covers a variety of farm jobs, including some supervisory positions. The NAWS includes workers regardless of immigration status but excludes H-2A guest workers, agricultural workers from other countries in the U.S. on temporary work visas. The NAWS interviews workers in their workplaces rather than their homes. The interviewed workers work for employers who consent to data collection by NAWS staff.
GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
- Place of Birth: Six out of 10 workers were born in Mexico (64%); 32% were born in the United States/ Puerto Rico.
- Ethnicity and Race: Seventy-seven percent of workers identified as Hispanic. Among U.S. born workers, 30% self-identified as Hispanic.
- Gender: Sixty-nine percent of NAWS respondents were male.
- Age: The average age of agricultural workers was 41 years, with 68% between ages 25 and 54 years (see Figure 1).
- Dependents: Fifty-seven percent of workers were married and 50% were parents.
- Primary Language: Spanish and English were the primary languages of interviewed agricultural workers. Two-thirds (65%) of the interviewed preferred Spanish as their speaking language and 27% preferred English. One percent of workers preferred an Indigenous language.
Figure 1: Age Distribution of Agricultural Workers, 2017 -2018
EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING
- Migratory Patterns: Thirteen percent of workers were categorized as “migratory;” meaning the worker reported agricultural jobs more than 75 miles apart or reported relocating more than 75 miles to work in agriculture as defined by the NAWS. Of those migratory workers, nearly half were domestic (47%), 42% were international, and 11% had been in the U.S. less than a year.
- Housing: Twenty-six percent of workers responded they lived in a “crowded” dwelling, where more than one worker shared the same room. Eleven percent reported living on the farm of their current employer.
- Work type: Eighty-three percent of agricultural workers reported working in fruits, nuts, vegetables, and horticultural crops with 41% in fruits and nuts. The migratory workers interviewed were less likely than settled workers to hold a job in horticulture.
- Working hours: Forty-two percent of workers reported working more than eight hours a day (see Figure 2).
- Income: From 2017-2018, 71% of farmworkers reported an annual income of less than $30,000.
Figure 2: Percentage of Workers by Daily Work Hours, 2013-2017
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
- Health Care Utilization: Seventy-one percent of NAWS respondents used health care services in the U.S. in the last 2 years.
- Type of provider: Forty-four percent of workers went to a private clinic the last time they visited a health care provider and 31% reported visiting a Community or Migrant Health Center. Other providers included healers, curanderos, chiropractors, an emergency room, or a naturopath.
- Payment for services: In 2017, 26% paid for health care services out-of-pocket (compared to 43% in 2013) and 16% paid for the visit through their personal or family insurance plan. Fifteen percent of respondents used an employer provided health plan to pay for their last medical visit, 24% used Medicaid or Medicare, and 11% were not charged for the visit.
- Barriers to care: The most prevalent barrier to obtaining health care reported by respondents was cost. In 2017, 23% of respondents thought the cost of health care was too expensive or that they had no insurance to cover the cost (compared to 30% in 2011).
- Need-Based Program Utilization: A majority of agricultural workers do not receive assistance from government need-based programs.
- Workers’ compensation coverage: Eighty-five percent of NAWS respondents reported that if they were injured at work or got sick as a result of work, their employer provided workers’ compensation.
- Insurance coverage: Fifty-six percent of NAWS respondents had health insurance. Of those agricultural workers with health insurance, 30% said their employer provided the insurance. Ninety-four percent of respondents reported that their minor children had health insurance.
Figure 4: Percentage of Agricultural Workers with Health Insurance, 2013-2017
Disclaimer: This publication was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,916,466 with 0% financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
[1] This analysis utilizes the National Agricultural Workers Survey public access data from fiscal years 2011-2018. The data can be retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/national-agricultural-workers-survey . All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number, except for percentages below 1%. Only results equal to or greater than 1% were reported.
[1] This analysis utilizes the National Agricultural Workers Survey public access data from fiscal years 2011-2018. The data can be retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/national-agricultural-workers-survey . All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number, except for percentages below 1%. Only results equal to or greater than 1% were reported.