The study checks how much farms pay employees compared to other sectors – 620 CKRM

While pay will always remain an important factor in attracting new workers to the agriculture sector, other issues such as work flexibility, vacation and sick days can be important in recruiting and retaining high-quality workers.

The Canadian Council of Agricultural Human Resources conducted a survey of 140 organizations to learn more about employee compensation.
It found that 44 percent of farms offer paid sick days, an average of six per year.

Between 60 and 70 percent of surveyed grain and oilseed farms offered workers paid leave, with an average length of 11 to 13 days.

The study found that the highest average worker pay was on grain and oilseed farms, with managers earning an average salary of just under $40 an hour and farm workers earning an average salary of $28 an hour.

Dairy farm managers earned $26 an hour and workers earned $21 an hour.

By comparison, construction workers earned an average of $36 an hour and manufacturers earned $33.50.

The report shows that while the Canadian labor market is expected to slow in 2024, a labor shortage persists in the agriculture sector.

(Neil Billinger, CJWW)