Farmers in the US claim that they face a severe shortage of workers. Over 50 percent of workers on American farms are undocumented immigrants, US Department of Labor statistics show, yet even that workforce is beginning to shrink.
A recent report, from the Pew Research Center, found that Mexican immigrants are now leaving the US in greater numbers than they are arriving. This is partly because of the slow economic recovery and partly due to stronger enforcement of immigration laws. Farm owners say that fewer workers result in rising costs and that unpicked fruit often has to be left to rot in their fields. Many producers are choosing to abandon the US to head for nations with fewer regulations and lower costs, according to Tom Nassif, the CEO of the trade organization.
Nassif says that the situation is becoming bleak, with farms almost having to beg for workers. Due to the competition, the average wage for farm workers has increased by as much as five percent, to $12 an hour, over the last 12 months. Nassif says that some farmers are paying $15 an hour.
The costs are continuing to rise and workers have also won better working conditions, though American workers continue to be unimpressed with the jobs. Although the hard physical work can be off-putting, Nassif admits that the migratory and seasonal nature of the work is also unappealing to Americans wanting stable employment.