Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
e. 3. An assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers means summarizing Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) characteristics (including if they are predominantly from certain countries, what language(s) they speak, the approximate number of MSFWs in the State during peak season and during low season, and whether they tend to be migrant, seasonal, or year-round farmworkers). This information must take into account data supplied by WIOA Section 167 National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) grantees, other MSFW organizations, employer organizations, and State and/or Federal agency data sources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration
Current Narrative:
The approximate number of MSFWs in Illinois during peak season and during low season is gathered from the number of outreach contacts recorded in IllinoisJobLink and the number of workers requested on H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor applications. Peak season activity occurs from June to August, and the low season ranges from January to March. From June 1, 2019 to August 31, 2019, there were approximately 571 domestic MSFWs contacted through outreach and 1,712 foreign MSFWs present in Illinois. From January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020, there were 0 MSFWs contacted through outreach and 475 foreign MSFWs present in Illinois.
Illinois Migrant Council (NFJP Grantee) provided the following MSFW demographic information:
Generally, the age distribution is projected to be: 15% under 21, 59% including ages 22–44, 20% including ages 45–54, and 6% over 55. Male is 71% and female 29%. More than 75% have not finished high school. The primary language for many is Spanish; the majority has Hispanic/Latino roots. In previous years, migrant farmworkers were primarily from Texas, Mexico, Florida, and California. Recently, outreach staff has encountered individuals from other countries in Central and South America and some from West African countries with various languages and dialects. During the “high season,” the approximate statewide percentage, by regional area, is approximately 60% Migrant and 40% Seasonal. During the “low season,” the approximate statewide percentage, by regional area, is approximately 20% Migrant and 80% Seasonal.