Phony Farm Labor Shortage: We Need to Talk About It
24th September 2012
A couple of weeks ago, I pointed out that despite all the talk of a farm labor shortage last summer, American farms had an amazingly profitable year.
Net cash income rose from the record high in 2010 of $99.4 billion to a new record high of $134.7 billion. That’s an eye-popping 35.5 percent profit growth! (Read more: More Data on The Phony Farm Labor Crisis)
I pointed out that in some of the states that had been repeatedly said to be facing a labor shortage—California and Washington, for example—profit growth was even higher. Washington farms saw profits grow by 58 percent, for goodness’ sakes.
Yet somehow the myth of a farm labor shortage persists.
September 24th, 2012 at 13:39
When there’s fewer wetbacks to pick the crops, the ones who do have the labor available make more money. How is this a mystery?
The ones losing out are the smallholders who can’t find pickers. Yea, capitalism! When you restrict the market, only the rich can afford to hire help.
September 24th, 2012 at 13:40
Oh, by the way…need I mention Falacy of Aggregation?
September 24th, 2012 at 15:28
Only if you can spell it correctly.