What is NAWS?
Aguirre International is contracted by the United States Department of Labor (US DOL) to conduct NAWS, a study of hired farm workers (including nursery workers) in the United States.

NAWS is the only nationwide information source that describes the demographic characteristics and employment profiles of hired farm workers. Since NAWS began in 1988 over 30,000 workers have been interviewed. NAWS interviews only workers-not farmers. Interviews last approximately 40 minutes and farm workers receive honoraria for their participation.

NAWS is strictly confidential. Names and addresses of the study's participants and employers are guaranteed to be kept private by the Privacy Act of 1974 and will not be used in any reports.

History of NAWS
The U.S. Department of Labor is the only national information source on the demographics, and working and living conditions of U.S. farmworkers. The survey samples all crop farmworkers in three cycles each year in order to capture the seasonality of the work.

The NAWS locates and samples workers at their work sites, avoiding the well-publicized undercount of this difficult-to-find population. During the initial contact, arrangements are made to interview the respondent at home or at another convenient location.