AgCareers releases compensation during COVID-19 report

A special report from AgCareers highlights agriculture’s workforce and compensation during the Coronavirus pandemic. The special report provides a hyper-focus on the most critical components facing agribusinesses during COVID-19. The topics include workforce planning, wellness/benefit programs and compensation practices related to salary administration for 2020 and 2021. The report finds 81 percent of agribusinesses did not have to make staff changes during the pandemic, and nearly 20 percent increased hiring of permanent and temporary employees. Most agriculture organizations were able to provide consistency regarding salary increases for 2020. Roughly a third of organizations had already implemented 2020 increases before the pandemic. A combined 30 percent of organizations did report being undecided, delaying or canceling previously planned increases. Looking ahead to 2021, companies continue to plan for increases, only 17 percent indicating it was not likely for salaries to increase. The prevalent estimated salary increase budgeted was 2.6 to 3.0 percent.