NAICS 115115

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of U.S. economic statistics. Developed by the Office of Management and Budget and first adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS enables comparability across the United States, Canada, and Mexico; the current classification vintage for new Census economic statistics is 2022. ¹
NAICS 115115 is defined as establishments primarily engaged in supplying labor for agricultural production or harvesting. It sits in Sector 11 (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting) within Support Activities for Crop Production. Illustrative examples include farm labor contractors and crew leaders. Cross-references clarify that machine harvesting is 115113, postharvest activities are 115114, and farm management services are 115116. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Supplying manual labor crews for agricultural production tasks in fields, orchards, vineyards, and similar settings. ²
• Providing labor for manual crop harvesting and picking activities. ²
• Assembling and furnishing labor teams to perform on-farm work under the direction of the farm operator. ²
• Employing or designating crew leaders to coordinate agricultural labor crews. ²
• Contract labor provision focused on agricultural production or harvesting rather than equipment-based services. ²
• Labor supply for farm work that is not classified as machine harvesting or farm management services. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	115113	Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
NAICS	115114	Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning)
NAICS	115116	Farm Management Services
NAICS	561320	Temporary Help Services

Classification boundaries and exclusions

• Machine harvesting services belong in NAICS 115113; 115115 covers supplying labor, not equipment-based harvesting. ²
• Farm management providers that manage operations and arrange labor for the farms they manage are classified in NAICS 115116, not 115115. ²
• General temporary staffing firms are classified in NAICS 561320; the NAICS manual directs farm-labor supply to 115115. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 115115?
  NAICS 115115 covers establishments primarily engaged in supplying labor for agricultural production or harvesting, including farm labor contractors and crew leaders. It excludes equipment-based harvesting, postharvest services, and farm management activities handled under other NAICS codes. ²

• How does 115115 differ from 115113 and 115116?
  NAICS 115113 covers machine harvesting. NAICS 115116 covers farm management on a fee or contract basis. NAICS 115115 specifically covers the supply of farm labor (manual production and harvesting). ²

• Are temporary staffing firms that provide farmworkers classified here?
  General staffing firms fall under NAICS 561320. However, establishments primarily engaged in supplying agricultural labor crews are classified in NAICS 115115. Final classification should follow the primary activity as defined in the NAICS manual. ³

• Does 115115 include cotton ginning or postharvest packing?
  No. Cotton ginning is classified in NAICS 115111 and postharvest crop activities (e.g., cleaning, sorting, packing) are in NAICS 115114. NAICS 115115 is limited to supplying agricultural labor. ²

• Is the 2022 NAICS vintage currently in use for this industry in Census economic data?
  Yes. Census economic programs are releasing data on a 2022 NAICS basis, with broad adoption targeted by the end of 2027; the 2022 Economic Census already uses the 2022 structure. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 115115
• Census: NAICS Sector 11 resources (includes definition and cross-references for NAICS 115115). ²
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and overview). ⁴
• Census: Economic Census — NAICS Codes & understanding industry classification. ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/econ/2017-naics-manual.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS Sector 11 archive page (includes NAICS 115115 definition and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect11.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS Sector 56 archive page (Temporary Help Services cross-reference to 115115). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect56.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau, The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS. https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html