STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE HIRED FARM WORK FORCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY, RESEARCH, AND POLICY

Historical changes in the structure of agriculture have led to the creation of a heterogeneous hired farm labor force. However, the conceptual process relating to this occupational group has not kept pace with agricultural development and theory, research, and policy relating to hired farmworkers have suffered as a result. This research measures the extent, nature, and implications of structural diversity within the U.S. hired farm work force by examining worker differences in level of attachment to farm and nonfarm work. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Work Force Survey are used to develop a typological model which identifies three groups of hired farmworkers: those attached to farmwork, those attached to nonfarm work, and those casually attached to work. Univariate and multivariate techniques test the utility of this typology for understanding the structure of the hired farm work force. The empirical analysis indicates that these groups of farmworkers differ substantially in their demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and employment experiences. Study results indicate that workers who are strongly attached to farmwork are segmented into two groups. Some of these workers are in secondary jobs with low status and rewards; others experience higher earnings and better working conditions, but are still economically disadvantaged compared to other occupational groups. Farmworkers who are attached to nonfarm work differ by their income status. Some of these workers are in low income families and are contributing necessary income to the family; others with higher incomes are combining farm and nonfarm jobs to improve their standard of living. Some farmworkers who are casually attached to the work force are providing necessary family income, but others have relatively high family incomes and do farm and nonfarm work for extra spending money or to obtain entry level job experience. The structural diversity identified in this study indicates that different groups of workers experience different problems and needs based in large part on their original motivation for seeking employment on U.S. farms. The presence of structural diversity has important implications for theory, research, and policy which have historically been based on a homogeneous image of hired farmworkers.