California versus Other Farmworkers:NAWS in the 1990s

1
California versus Other FarmworkersNAWS in the
1990s

• Daniel Carroll, USDOL
• Susan Gabbard, Aguirre International
• Changing Faces Conference
• Asilomar, California
• May 19, 2003

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Demographic changes 1989-2000

• It has become increasingly hard to make a living
  doing farmwork
• Farmworkers are drawn from even more vulnerable
  populations than before
• There are more migrants, particularly
  international migrants and solo migrants

3
Farmworkers wages did not keep up with other
industries
4
Farmworkers wages did not keep up with inflation
5
Employment patterns changed over the last 10 years
1999 data only
6
Folks doing farmwork changed
1991-1992 data
7
Family composition changed fewer parents, more
singles
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Migration
PERIOD 89 - 90 99 - 00
Migrant 43 50
Move from Farm Job to Farm Job 15 11
Move from Homebase (not FW) to Farm Job 28 39
Newcomers 4 23
International Migrants 23 36
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As a result, more farmworkers work away from
their families
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Differences between CA and Other

• Over the 90s, the gap has narrowed in both job
  and worker characteristics but important
  differences remain

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Job Similarities
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Job Differences
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Worker Similarities
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Worker Differences
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Summary of Differences

• More farm labor contracting in California
• More turnover in California
• Non-newcomers more likely to be Mexican
  immigrants in California.