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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 10:34 a.m., Friday, February 22, 2008

Farm workforce steady in January at 6,400 workers

Advertiser Staff

The state's agricultural workforce in January stood at 6,400, unchanged from October 2007 when the last survey was taken, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The department conducted the survey Jan. 6-12 and also found that the average wage was $13.04 an hour, down from October's record $13.19, the report said. Year over comparisons with January 2007 were not available because no survey was conducted then.

Diversified agricultural jobs accounted for 82 percent of all farm labor at 5,250, also unchanged from October.

The combined average wage for field and livestock workers was $10.92 an hour last month, down 21 cents from October. Hawai'i farms employing from one to nine workers paid an average $11.46, up 7 cents from October, while the average wage for field and livestock workers was $10.22, down from $10.49 in October.