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Abstract
The objective of this paper is to examine how the likely growth in the ethanol industry
over the next decade will impact U.S. labor markets, especially migrant crop labor, which is largely
immigrant labor. To build the background for making projections for 2008-2010 and beyond, the
paper reviews and critiques: (i) the size and composition of the U.S. farm labor market, (ii) the
demographics and wage of hired farm workers, (iii) the supply of farm workers, and (iv) the factors
affecting the demand for farm labor, including new technologies. The final section provides some
projections for agricultural labor markets, taking account not only of likely trends in energy prices
but also new technologies that will affect labor demand in the future.