Effects of the Great Recession on the U.S. Agricultural Labor Market

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Forthcoming

54 Pages Posted: 26 May 2016

See all articles by Maoyong Fan

Maoyong Fan

Ball State University - Department of Economics

Anita Pena

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Jeffrey M. Perloff

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics

Date Written: January 2016

Abstract

We empirically test four hypotheses regarding differences between agricultural worker earnings (wages and bonuses) during recession and non-recessionary times, between agricultural worker time use during recession and non-recession times, between outcomes for undocumented and documented workers, and between outcomes for agricultural workers versus those working in other sectors of interest. Regression analyses show that the wages of documented (legal) seasonal agricultural workers increased more during the last three recessions than did the wages of undocumented agricultural workers and low-skilled non-agricultural workers. Bonus pay and weekly hours also increased for some workers, suggesting general increases in financial well-being of employed agricultural workers during recessions.

Keywords: agriculture, Great Recession, immigrants, recession, undocumented workers

JEL Classification: E32, J43, J61

Suggested Citation

Fan, Maoyong and Pena, Anita and Perloff, Jeffrey M., Effects of the Great Recession on the U.S. Agricultural Labor Market (January 2016). American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2783921

Maoyong Fan (Contact Author)

Ball State University - Department of Economics ( email )

Whitinger Business Building, room 201
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306-0340
United States
765-285-5741 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/maoyongfan/home

Anita Pena

Colorado State University, Fort Collins ( email )

Fort Collins, CO 80523-1771
United States

Jeffrey M. Perloff

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics ( email )

207 Giannini Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States
510-642-9574 (Phone)
510-643-8911 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://are.berkeley.edu/~perloff

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