Who is Interviewed?

The NAWS surveys hired workers who are currently employed in crop and crop-related work.

Prospective survey respondents must be hired by an eligible establishment and working at an eligible task. Eligible establishments are those classified in the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) as Crop Production (NAICS code 111) or as Support Activities for Crop Production (NAICS code 1151). NAICS 111 comprises establishments such as farms, orchards, groves, greenhouses, and nurseries that are primarily engaged in growing crops, plants, vines, or trees and their seeds. NAICS 1151 includes establishments primarily engaged in providing support activities for rowing crops. Examples of support activities include supplying labor, aerial dusting or spraying, cotton ginning, cultivating services, farm management services, planting crops, and vineyard cultivation services.

Eligible tasks include work in all phases of crop production (pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest), as well as supervising workers, operating machinery, and packing crops. Persons who pack crops, however, are interviewed only if the packing facility at which they are employed is on or adjacent to the sampled crop producer, and the facility is owned by and primarily packs crops for that producer.