FARM LABOR

During a one-week survey in July of this year, there were 3.68 million people working on the nation's farms and ranches. Self-employed farm operators accounted for 1.58 million of the total workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $5.57 per hour, up 27 cents from a year ago. Benefits such as housing and meals were provided to 38 percent of the hired workers.

The Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service included Missouri and Iowa figures combined. In the two states, there were a total of 259,000 farm workers during the survey week, with 158,000 of the workers being self-employed operators.

The average wage rate per hour for all hired workers was $5.47 in the two states.