Underlying factors influencing job satisfaction and stress among TN-visa workers in the U.S. swine industry.

چکیده اصلی

The United States (U.S.) swine industry has increasingly relied on North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) visa program workers (TN-Visa) to combat labor shortages. However, high turnover rates are also reported among TN-visa workers, but the underlying causes are mainly unknown. The study objectives were to 1) describe TN-Visa participants' demographics and 2) explore underlying factors for job satisfaction, stress levels and the likelihood of changing employers for TN-Visa workers. A survey consisting of a mix of demographic, ranking, and open-ended questions was created and translated to Spanish. The survey was distributed online (N = 50) and in-person (N = 211) to TN-Visa workers in Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and North Carolina. Mixed multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of job satisfaction, stress levels, and job change intent. High stress levels were associated with lower job satisfaction. Respondents with over 72 months of TN-visa program tenure were 80% less likely to experience a high level of job satisfaction compared to those with shorter experience, but older TN-visa workers showed higher job satisfaction compared to younger workers. High job satisfaction or moderately sized farm employment decreased the likelihood of considering changing their employer. Previous animal husbandry experiences doubled the likelihood of considering changing their employer compared to workers with no previous animal husbandry experience. These findings underscore the relevance of a One Health approach, as worker wellbeing and retention are closely linked to animal health and welfare; and overall farm sustainability, with improved job satisfaction and reduced stress potentially benefiting both human and animal health outcomes. This study is one of few to present underlying factors for self-reported job satisfaction, stress, and changing employment for TN-visa workers and provides the U.S swine industry stakeholders with important insights into TN-visa working conditions.

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