Illegal immigrant women are saving California's grape growing industry. So say several grape growers interviewed by the "San Francisco Chronicle" over the last several months. The state doesn't offer official stats on the gender of agricultural workers, but growers say women are performing a larger share of vineyard work and helping solve a shortage of illegal immigrant men, who have left for jobs in restaurants, construction or cannabis fields.
The report says vineyard work offers higher pay and better job security than other employment options in California and the women have almost none in rural Mexico, where most originate.
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