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Agricultural Labor Supply

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra E. Hill

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA)

  • Izaac Ornelas

    (JBS International, Inc., San Mateo, California 94402, USA)

  • J. Edward Taylor

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA)

Abstract

The labor supply response to agricultural wages is critical to the viability of crop production in high-income countries, which hire a largely foreign farm work force, as well as in low-income countries, where domestic workers move off the farm as the agricultural transformation unfolds. Modeling agricultural labor supply is more challenging than modeling the supply of other agricultural inputs or of labor to other sectors of the economy owing to unique features of agricultural production and farm labor markets. Data and econometric challenges abound, and estimates of agricultural labor supply elasticities are sparse. This review explains the importance and challenges of modeling farm labor supply and describes researchers’ efforts to address these challenges. It summarizes estimates of agricultural labor supply elasticities over the last 80 years, provides insights into variation in these estimates, identifies priority areas for future research, and reviews the most influential empirical work related to this important topic.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra E. Hill & Izaac Ornelas & J. Edward Taylor, 2021. "Agricultural Labor Supply," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 39-64, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:anr:reseco:v:13:y:2021:p:39-64
    DOI: 10.1146/annurev-resource-101620-080426
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Aminata Zong‐naba & Aké G.‐M. N'gbo & Omer S. Combary, 2024. "Labor differentiation and cotton productivity in Burkina Faso," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 36(2), pages 306-319, June.
    2. Kuroiwa, Kenichi & Chellattan Veettil, Prakashan & Gupta, Ishika, 2024. "Labor Scarcity and Technology Adoption in Agriculture: Evidence from Rural India during the COVID-19 Pandemic," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343851, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Bao-Li Miao & Ying Liu & Yu-Bing Fan & Xue-Jiao Niu & Xiu-Yun Jiang & Zeng Tang, 2023. "Optimization of Agricultural Resource Allocation among Crops: A Portfolio Model Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-18, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    agricultural labor; labor supply elasticity; farmworkers; immigration; agricultural household;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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