Farm workers pick broccolini in King City, Calif. (AP photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez) |
Either way, the industry could take a tremendous hit under President Trump's increased immigration enforcement and his proposed border wall, Haspel writes. And it's not like Americans are standing in line for farm jobs, which often require long hours of backbreaking work for low pay.
A study in North Carolina from 2011, a year in which 489,095 people in the state were unemployed, found that when the North Carolina Growers Association listed 6,500 available jobs, only 268 Americans applied, 245 were hired, 163 showed up to work and only seven finished the season. Haspel notes, "Of the mostly Mexican workers who took the rest of the jobs, 90 percent made it through to the end."
The undocumented workforce already is shrinking, Haspel writes. In part because of Trump administration policies, but also because of enforcement under the Obama administration, better conditions in Mexico and an aging workforce. These scenarios have put pressure on the agricultural sector to raise wages and improve conditions, which could lead to higher prices for consumers. "If wages increased 25 percent (from $12 to $15), and that cost were passed on to us, produce prices would rise 2 to 3 percent. The yearly impact would be in the range of $30 per household, certainly affordable for many but not for all," Haspel writes.
from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2nDPeAX Stricter immigration laws, border wall threatens ag industry that relies on undocumented workers - Entrepreneur Generations
0 Response to "Stricter immigration laws, border wall threatens ag industry that relies on undocumented workers - Entrepreneur Generations"
Post a Comment