The Department of Labor (DOL) has surveyed hired crop workers since 1988 through the NAWS. The survey collects employment, demographic, and health information, and provides an understanding of the workforce resources available to U.S. agriculture. Public and private service programs use the data for planning, implementing, and evaluating farm worker programs. DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) biennially releases a national summary report of the survey's findings and updated public-use files.

This report is the thirteenth in a series on hired crop workers' demographic and employment characteristics. Its findings are based on 5,342 interviews that were conducted in fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The report's nine chapters summarize national-level findings on key characteristics, including place of birth and legal status; education and language skills; housing and transportation; job characteristics and employment experience; income and assets; and access to health care. There are three public-use files.

The NAWS survey is conducted three times each year to capture the seasonality of agricultural employment. NAWS contractor staff interview crop workers at their place of work. Depending on the information needs and resources of the various Federal agencies that use NAWS data, contractor staff interview between 1,500 and 3,600 workers each year.