Employment Security Reports Farm Jobs a Good Bet in Washington

April 6th, 2010 by Ashley DeForest

Employment Security Reports Farm Jobs a Good Bet in Washington

The Herald, Snohomish County’s online news source, published this interesting news piece last week regarding the promising employment trends in Washington’s agricultural sector.

Need a job? You might have to get your hands dirty.

No, we’re not advocating backstabbing or under-the-table deals — just the good old-fashioned kind of dirt that comes with farming.

Agriculture is a rarity in Washington state’s employment landscape, an industry where jobs were added last year despite one of the most severe recessions in recent history.

People have to eat.

And that means agriculture is a pretty good employment bet right now, even in a down economy.

“In a tough economy, people may give up a lot of discretionary purchases, but they still buy food,” said Employment Security Department Commissioner Karen Lee. “That keeps agriculture more stable than other industries.”

That perspective is reflected in an Employment Security report released Tuesday. Among other findings, the report shows that total agricultural employment increased by 22 percent when comparing January of 2009 with January of this year.

The total year-over-year average was lower — about 7 percent. But that’s still an increase of 6,790 jobs from 2008.

Seasonal jobs in agriculture increased by almost 20 percent last year, according to the report.

Mark Lovejoy, owner of Garden Treasures in Arlington, said he gets between 5 and 10 inquiries about employment in week, largely from college graduates interested in organic farming.

Wages don’t seem to be a big motivating factor for most applicants, and Lovejoy was able to take on two more employees last year. His direct-to-consumer organic farm now has a staff of five.

“There are so many people looking for work, the quality of candidates right now is the best I’ve ever seen in my career,” Lovejoy said. “I’m able to get some very good people.”

While the necessity of eating has a lot to do with the relative stability of agricultural jobs, the state’s weather had a lot to do with the increase on the production side.

Last year’s mild weather meant more orchard workers in the eastern part of Washington. The apple industry alone provided 3,240 more jobs this January than the same month last year.

The report attributes much of the increase to a need for apple-tree pruners.

Growers also needed more workers to help grow and harvest other fruits and vegetables, including cherries, pears, raspberries and onions. Blueberry farms and nurseries hired fewer workers, according to the report.

But there’s one factor facing the state’s agriculture industry that weather can’t make up for, Lovejoy said. Washington’s high minimum wage of $8.55 per hour can make hiring tough, especially in parts of the state where the cost of living is lower.

“That’s a huge issue on the other side of mountains,” Lovejoy said.