Pittman Farms holds job fair in Madera and Selma as ag industry struggles to find workers

Several signs are posted outside the Madera Farm Bureau advertising a job fair-- a local company is looking for ranch workers. Forms and papers are ready to go but one thing is missing-- the long line of people waiting to apply.

Jason Erickson with ag companies Erickson Farms and TEP said finding people to fill farm jobs can be a struggle.

"There has been a constant battle especially in our big fluxes of labor during harvest. It is always a struggle finding enough people to get the job done as quickly as we need to."

According to the Employment Development Department's latest study, the unemployment rate in Fresno County went up a little in February. Meantime, farm employment alone actually grew by 300 jobs.

However, compared to February of 2017 farm jobs are actually down .8-percent.

Erickson said, "Through the year it has probably become more difficult to find a guy that shows up every day and wants to do hard work."

Erickson said advancements in technology have changed the landscape-- machinery that once required a person can now be remotely operated.

"And that has been helping cut down in some of our labor needs, but there is always a demand for good people, hard-working people and that's what we have been dealing with."

Ag businesses like Pitman Family Farms will continue to use methods like job fairs in hopes of finding those hard working people.

JOB FAIR INFO:

WHEN: Thursday, March 29, 2018

TIME: 8:00am - 3:00pm

LOCATIONS:

1102 SOUTH PINE STREET, MADERA, CA 93637

3706 McCALL AVE., SUITE 116, SELMA, CA. 93662