An Analysis of Pesticide Handler Wages in the United States

Pesticide handling is a critical component of many food supply chains yet labor markets for pesticide handlers are little studied. This study uses data from the U.S. national survey to show that relative to other farmworkers, pesticide handlers get paid 15% more. To understand this premium, matching...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of agricultural and applied economics 2021-08, Vol.53 (3), p.375-388
Main Authors: Li, An, Reimer, Jeffrey J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural economics
Approximation
Critical components
Employers
Employment
Farmworkers
Food chains
Food supply
Geographical locations
Handlers
Human capital
Hypotheses
Labor market
Materials handling
Pesticides
Supply chains
Wage differential
Wages & salaries
Workers
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Summary:Pesticide handling is a critical component of many food supply chains yet labor markets for pesticide handlers are little studied. This study uses data from the U.S. national survey to show that relative to other farmworkers, pesticide handlers get paid 15% more. To understand this premium, matching techniques are used to identify workers who are observationally equivalent in every way except pesticide handling. Using these methods, approximately half of the wage premium can be related back to observable characteristics, including crop type, geographic location, legal work authorization, education, experience, and other personal characteristics.
ISSN:1074-0708
2056-7405
DOI:10.1017/aae.2021.16