The objective of the study is to analyze empirically the demand for hired farm labor and the elasticities of substitution of capital for labor in the U.S., the Middle Atlantic region, the Pacific region, and in the states of California and Oregon. The data period 1941-1969 was analyzed for the U.S., the data period 1949-1969 was analyzed for the Middle Atlantic region and the Pacific region, and the data period 1951-1970 was analyzed for Oregon. This latter period, represents the full available data history for Oregon. This study shows that the demand for hired farm labor with respect to the real wage is elastic in the short run in the Middle Atlantic region and in the state of Oregon. The short run demand elasticity with respect to real wage for the U.S. ranges from -0.529 to -0.663. This range is significant at the 1 percent level. For Middle Atlantic and Pacific regions, the wage elasticities are -2.140 and -1.371, respectively. Both are significant at the 1 percent level. The short run wage elasticity for Oregon ranges from -1.64 to -2.58 which is significant at the 10 percent level. A study of one sector of farming, the demand of seasonal hired farm labor in harvesting pears, Jackson County, Oregon, finds that the short run elasticity with respect to wage rate for this sector is -1.769 which is significant at the 10 percent level. This study also shows that the elasticity of substitution of capital for hired farm labor in Oregon is greater than the rate for the Nation, for the Middle Atlantic region, and for California. The elasticities of substitution of capital for hired farm labor for the Nation, the Middle Atlantic region, the Pacific region, California and Oregon are 1.449, 1.692, 0.595, 0.429, and 1.938, respectively. They are all significant at the 5 percent level except for California which is significant at the 10 percent level. The result of this study will be useful for agricultural policy formulation. The demand for hired farm labor with respect to the real wage is elastic for the Middle Atlantic region, the Pacific region, and Oregon in both the short and long runs. In the long run it will be elastic at the National level. This means that the number of hired farm workers declines proportionally more than the wage rate increases. With the knowledge of the readiness of capital for substituting for hired farm laborers, any increase in real wage would increase the rate of substitution of capital for hired farm labor. This in turn would result in a reduction of total income and number for hired farm workers. Only those with special skills and high job security would benefit from such a policy. / Graduation date: 1972

No description available.

Human trafficking is an international crisis which has emerged as a human rights issue of the highest priority for many nations. This is not a new occurrence, although the onset of globalization has provoked increased intensity in this international crime. Recent studies, including the U.S. State Department’s 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report have predicted that the recent global economic crisis will inflate these numbers to an even larger number of victims. This thesis will investigate these phenomena ultimately asking: Do immigration policies and economic conditions contribute to the recent proliferation in cases of human trafficking for labor purposes? Moreover with the recent global economic crisis, has consumer demand affected an increase in cheap migrant labor furthering vulnerabilities that create prime situations for human trafficking and forced labor? This thesis will investigate these questions by focusing on the geographic parameters of the United States and Mexico due to their physical proximity and the history of immigration between these neighboring countries.

The education of the children of migrant farmworkers is difficult to manage because of their mobile lifestyle. The dropout rate of these children is extremely high and remains the highest of any group in the United States. This project offers an historical overview of the creation and development of the migrant education programs of today. After examining sample distance learning programs and their important components, this project features a model distance-learning program for migrants. The goal is to create distance learning programs that will allow migrant children to continue school as they travel, guide them to graduation, and lead them toward higher education.