Labor is a crucial input for many agricultural industries. For some farm operations, planting, weeding, pruning and harvesting require access to seasonal and migrant farmworkers. Other farms and agribusinesses require a steady and reliable pool of workers all year round. Obtaining sufficient agricultural labor is a major challenge around the country. In North Carolina, the production of several labor-intensive crops and meat processing operations demand significant amounts of agricultural workers with different skills.

The purpose of this page is to provide information related to agricultural labor in North Carolina, the U.S. Southeast region, and, more generally, the United States. The data and research findings presented here aim to help farms and agricultural businesses make better-informed decisions and strategic plans regarding hiring, training and retaining agricultural workers. Labor market information related to the supply and demand of agricultural workers, wages and immigration policies that could affect the availability of farmworkers in the fields is also provided.