Work

An Analysis of Pesticide Handler Wages in the United States

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: 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.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics

DOI: 10.1017/aae.2021.16

Authors: An Li, Jeffrey J. Reimer

Institutions: Shandong Jianzhu University, Oregon State University

Language: English

Topic: Labor market dynamics and wage inequality

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,620