In 2014, the average employment of hired workers in California crop and livestock agriculture, counting all occupations, rose by 10% to 410,900. However, although the state reports the number of jobs on farms regularly, it does not report the number of workers who fill these jobs. We analyzed all Social Security numbers reported by farm employers in 2014 and found two workers for each average or year-round equivalent farm job, making the total number of farmworkers employed in agriculture 829,300, or twice average employment. Approximately 83% of farmworkers had their maximum earnings with an agricultural employer in 2014, and almost 80% of those primary farmworkers were employed by crop support firms (392,000) or fruit and nut farms (154,000). Over 60% of all workers had only one farm employer, followed by 27% with two or more farm employers, and 35% were employed in Kern (116,000), Fresno (96,000) and Monterey (82,000) counties. These data show that California has a remarkably stable farm workforce: most farmworkers are attached to one farm employer, often a labor contractor who moves them from farm to farm.

California’s agricultural employers hired an average of 413,000 workers between 2018 and 2021 and reported an average of 882,000 farmworkers during these years, a ratio of 2.1 workers for each job. Average agricultural employment has been relatively stable since 2000, while the number of workers reported by agricultural employers declined. Despite concerns about farm labor shortages, the data show a relatively stable pool of farmworkers, including a rising share who are brought to farms by farm labor contractors.

1. The Supreme Court's Decision in the ‘Raisin Case': What Does it Mean for Mandatory Marketing Programs?

In Horne et al. v. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Raisin Marketing Order's volume-control program constituted an illegal taking of private property. We discuss the rationale for theprogram, the Court's opinion, and what this decision means for volume controls enacted under marketing order provisions, as well as the other functions that marketing orders commonly perform.

2. California Farm Labor: Jobs and Workers

The combination of labor-intensive crops, tighter border controls, and new programs that may give some unauthorized foreigners a temporary legal status has increased interest in the number of farm workers and theirstability. During the 1990s, there were an average three unique farm workers or Social Security Numbers reported by California farm employers for each year-round equivalent farm job. Analysis of data for 2007 and 2012 find two workers per job, a significant increase in stability. The ratio of workers to jobs may fall further as farmers mechanize, offer higher wages and benefits to retain current workers, or turn to guest workers.

3. The Evolving Legal Organization of California Farms: Corporations and LLCs

California corporate farms continue to grow in terms of numbers, share of all farms, acreage, and product sales. The average California corporate farm is larger than the average single proprietor and partnership farm, but all three organizational forms are represented in each of the size, asset and product sales categories from smallest to largest. Many California farms now realize some corporate advantages through organization as a Limited Liability Company.