IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agecon/v18y1998i2p127-143.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multiple job holdings among dairy farm families in New York and Ontario

Author

Listed:
  • Weersink, Alfons
  • Nicholson, Charles
  • Weerhewa, Jeeveka

Abstract

Previous empirical studies of multiple job holding have tended to focus on the characteristics of those obtaining off‐farm employment and the factors affecting the hours supplied to those obtaining off‐farm activities. None of these studies have explicitly addressed the reasons behind the decision to seek off‐farm employment. Neither have they been able to examine in‐depth the important issue of how this major component of the farm sector responds to alternative policies, since most studies have used cross‐sectional data for a given region. A comparison between countries would permit the analysis of how multiple job holding responds to differing government policies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for and factors affecting multiple job holdings of dairy farm families in neighboring regions of two counties, United States and Canada. The bordering regions of New York and Ontario have similar geographic conditions but significantly different farm support and social service policies. The results indicate the importance of farm income on why people work off the farm and provide evidence of multiple job holding as a flexible mechanism for coping with changes in the economic environment facing the household. For operators, the driving characteristics influencing off‐farm labor participation is the farm's financial position. The supply‐managed milk marketing system ensures higher and more stable returns for Ontario dairy farm labor. In contrast, it is family demographics, educational level and social support policy that appears to largely influence spousal off‐farm employment decisions. Free medical care in Ontario lowers the reservation wage for household members. The effect of these farm and social support policies on the relative returns to labor in agriculture and non‐farm employment explains the lower participation rate and hours supplied in off‐farm work by both operators, and hours supplied in off‐farm work by both operators and spouses in Ontario
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Weersink, Alfons & Nicholson, Charles & Weerhewa, Jeeveka, 1998. "Multiple job holdings among dairy farm families in New York and Ontario," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 127-143, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agecon:v:18:y:1998:i:2:p:127-143
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169-5150(98)80002-9
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huffman, Wallace E & Lange, Mark D, 1989. "Off-Farm Work Decisions of Husbands and Wives: Joint Decision Making," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 71(3), pages 471-480, August.
    2. Long, James E & Jones, Ethel B, 1980. "Labor Force Entry and Exit by Married Womem: A Longitudinal Analysis," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(1), pages 1-6, February.
    3. Alwang, Jeffrey Roger & Stallmann, Judith I., 1992. "Supply And Demand For Married Female Labor: Rural And Urban Differences In The Southern United States," Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 24(2), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Huffman, Wallace E, 1980. "Farm and Off-Farm Work Decisions: The Role of Human Capital," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 62(1), pages 14-23, February.
    5. Daniel A. Lass & Conrado M. Gempesaw II, 1992. "The Supply of Off-Farm Labor: A Random Coefficients Approach," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(2), pages 400-411.
    6. Daniel A. Sumner, 1982. "The Off-Farm Labor Supply of Farmers," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 64(3), pages 499-509.
    7. Brian W. Gould & William E. Saupe, 1989. "Off-Farm Labor Market Entry and Exit," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 71(4), pages 960-969.
    8. Alfons Weersink, 1992. "Off-farm Labor Decisions by Ontario Swine Producers," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 40(2), pages 235-251, July.
    9. Helen H. Jensen & Priscilla Salant, 1985. "The Role of Fringe Benefits in Operator Off-Farm Labor Supply," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 67(5), pages 1095-1099.
    10. Amemiya, Takeshi, 1974. "Multivariate Regression and Simultaneous Equation Models when the Dependent Variables Are Truncated Normal," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 42(6), pages 999-1012, November.
    11. Ellen Goddard & Alfons Weersink & Kevin Chen & Calum G. Turvey, 1993. "Economics of Structural Change in Agriculture," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 41(4), pages 475-489, December.
    12. Ray D. Bollman, 1979. "Off-Farm Work by Farmers: an Application of the Kinked Demand Curve for Labour," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 27(3), pages 37-60, November.
    13. Huffman, Wallace E., 1991. "Agricultural Household Models: Survey and Critique," Staff General Research Papers Archive 11008, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    14. Wayne Simpson & Marilyn Kapitany, 1983. "The Off-Farm Work Behavior of Farm Operators," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 65(4), pages 801-805.
    15. Fishe, Raymond P. H. & Trost, R. P. & Lurie, Philip M., 1981. "Labor force earnings and college choice of young women: An examination of selectivity bias and comparative advantage," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 169-191, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bhaumik, Sumon Kumar & Dimova, Ralitza & Nugent, Jeffrey B., 2011. "Off-farm labor supply and labor markets in rapidly changing circumstances: Bulgaria during transition," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 378-389, September.
    2. Bjornsen, Marte, 2002. "Probabilistic modelling of the joint labour decisions of husband and wife in farm households," ERSA conference papers ersa02p513, European Regional Science Association.
    3. Woldehanna, Tassew & Lansink, Alfons Oude & Peerlings, Jack, 2000. "Off-farm work decisions on Dutch cash crop farms and the 1992 and Agenda 2000 CAP reforms," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 163-171, March.
    4. Donnellan, Trevor & Hennessy, Thia, 2012. "Defining a theoretical model of farm households’ labour allocation decisions," Factor Markets Working Papers 140, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    5. Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Ralitza Dimova & Jeffrey B. Nugent, 2006. "Pulls, Pushes and Entitlement Failures in Labor Markets: Does the State of Development Matter?," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 06-07, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    6. Bjornsen, Hild-Marte, 2002. "Probabilistic Modelling of the Joint Labour Decisions of Husband and Wife in Farm Households," Workshop on the Farm Household-Firm Unit: Its Importance in Agriculture and Implications for Statistics, April 12-13,2002, Wye Campus, Imperial College 15717, International Agricultural Policy Reform and Adjustment Project (IAPRAP).
    7. Rosemarie Bégin & Lota D. Tamini & Maurice Doyon, 2014. "L'effet du travail hors-ferme sur l'efficacité technique des fermes laitières québécoises: un modèle intégrant les biais de sélection sur les observables et inobservables," Cahiers de recherche CREATE 2014-9, CREATE.
    8. Muhammad Amjed Iqbal & Muhammad Rizwan & Azhar Abbas & Muhammad Sohail Amjad Makhdum & Rakhshanda Kousar & Muhammad Nazam & Abdus Samie & Nasir Nadeem, 2021. "A Quest for Livelihood Sustainability? Patterns, Motives and Determinants of Non-Farm Income Diversification among Agricultural Households in Punjab, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Bjørnsen, Hild-Marte & Biørn, Erik, 2006. "The Joint Labour Decisions Of Farm Couples: A Censored Response Analysis Of On-Farm And Off-Farm Work," Memorandum 05/2006, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    10. Bojnec, Stefan & Ferto, Imre, 2011. "Impact of Off-farm Income on Farm Efficiency in Slovenia," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114258, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Barrett, Christopher B. & Reardon, Thomas, 2000. "Asset, Activity, And Income Diversification Among African Agriculturalists: Some Practical Issues," Working Papers 14734, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    12. Abdul-Salam, Yakubu & Roberts, Deborah, 2018. "Determinants of off-farm work and its effect on agricultural input intensity," 92nd Annual Conference, April 16-18, 2018, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 273486, Agricultural Economics Society.
    13. Thia Hennessy & Jasmina Behan & Tahir Rehman, 2005. "The Implications of Common Agricultural Policy Reform for Irish Farmers’ Participation in off-farm Labour Markets," Working Papers 0504, Rural Economy and Development Programme,Teagasc.
    14. Peter Howley & Emma Dillon & Thia Hennessy, 2012. "The role of non-pecuniary benefits in the labour allocation decision of farmers," Working Papers 1202, Rural Economy and Development Programme,Teagasc.
    15. Dierk Schmid & Swetlana Renner & Daniel Hoop, 2023. "Exploring within- and between-effects of the factors influencing off-farm work decisions in Switzerland," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(10), pages 416-425.
    16. Möllers, Judith, 2006. "Außerlandwirtschaftliche Diversifikation im Transformationsprozzess: Diversifikationsentscheidungen und -strategien ländlicher Haushalte in Slowenien und Mazedonien," Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Transition Economies, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), volume 35, number 92495.
    17. Shujaat Farooq & Zunaira Younais, 2018. "Do Non-farm Enterprises Offer Pathways for Upward Mobility in Rural Pakistan? Evidence from Panel Dataset," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 57(2), pages 203-221.
    18. Lien, Gudbrand D. & Kumbhakar, Subal C. & Hardaker, J. Brian, 2008. "Determinants Of Part-Time Farming And Its Effect On Farm Productivity And Efficiency," 107th Seminar, January 30-February 1, 2008, Sevilla, Spain 6701, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Donnellan, Trevor & Hennessy, Thia C., 2012. "The Labour Allocation Decisions of Farm Households: Defining a theoretical model," Working papers 137021, Factor Markets, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    20. Truong Lam Do & Trung Thanh Nguyen & Ulrike Grote, 2022. "Livestock production and income inequality in rural Vietnam," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 409-438, February.
    21. Truong Lam Do & Trung Thanh Nguyen & Ulrike Grote, 2019. "Nonfarm employment and household food security: evidence from panel data for rural Cambodia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 703-718, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Huffman, Wallace E. & El-Osta, Hisham, 1997. "Off-Farm Work Participation, Off-Farm Labor Supply and On-Farm Labor Demand of U.S. Farm Operators," ISU General Staff Papers 199712010800001290, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Tavernier, Edmund M. & Temel, Tugrul T. & Li, Farong, 1997. "The Role Of Farm Ownership In Off-Farm Work Participation," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 26(1), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Tocco, Barbara & Davidova, Sophia & Bailey, Alastair Creation-Date: 2012-02, "undated". "Key Issues in Agricultural Labour Markets: A Review of Major Studies and Project Reports on Agriculture and Rural Labour Markets," Factor Markets Working Papers 126, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    4. Wang, Xiaobing, 2007. "Labor market behavior of Chinese rural households during transition," Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Transition Economies, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), volume 42, number 92321.
    5. Mishra, Ashok K. & Paudel, Krishna P., 2008. "Policy Reform and Off-farm Labor Supply by Operators in the Delta Region: A," 2008 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2008, Dallas, Texas 6725, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    6. Corsi, Alessandro & Salvioni, Cristina, 2017. "Once part-timer always part-timer? Causes for persistence in off farm work state of farmers," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 6(2), September.
    7. Hastings, Steven E. & Mackenzie, John & Mukherjee, Jaideep, 1991. "An Analysis Of The Off-Farm Work Decision Of Farm Opera Tors And Their Spouses," 1991 Annual Meeting, August 4-7, Manhattan, Kansas 271083, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    8. Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge & Mishra, Ashok K. & Nehring, Richard F. & Hendricks, Chad & Southern, Malaya & Gregory, Alexandra, 2007. "Off-Farm Income, Technology Adoption, And Farm Economic Performance," Economic Research Report 7234, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    9. Chang, Hung-Hao & Mishra, Ashok, 2008. "Impact of off-farm labor supply on food expenditures of the farm household," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 657-664, December.
    10. Catherine Benjamin & Hervé Guyomard & Michel Sollogoub, 1994. "L'offre de travail des femmes. Application à l'agriculture française," Working Papers hal-01594108, HAL.
    11. Lass, Daniel A. & Gempesaw, Conrado M, II, 1990. "The Supply of Off-Farm Labor: A Random Coefficients Approach," 1990 Annual meeting, August 5-8, Vancouver, Canada 270989, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    12. Wang, Xiaobing & Herzfeld, Thomas & Glauben, Thomas, 2007. "Labor allocation in transition: Evidence from Chinese rural households," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 287-308.
    13. Huffman, Wallace E., 1996. "Farm Labor: Key Conceptual and Measurement Issues on the Route to Better Farm Cost and Return Estimates," ISU General Staff Papers 199604010800001279, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    14. Ayal Kimhi, 2004. "Family Composition and Off-Farm Participation Decisions in Israeli Farm Households," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(2), pages 502-512.
    15. Dries, Liesbeth & Ciaian, Pavel & Kancs, d’Artis, 2012. "Job creation and job destruction in EU agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 600-608.
    16. Findeis, Jill L. & Hallberg, M. C. & Lass, Daniel, 1987. "Off-Farm Employment: Research and Issues," Staff Paper Series 256841, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology.
    17. Catherine Benjamin & Ayal Kimhi, 2006. "Farm work, off-farm work, and hired farm labour: estimating a discrete-choice model of French farm couples' labour decisions," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 33(2), pages 149-171, June.
    18. Shaikh M.S.U. Eskander & Edward B. Barbier & Benjamin Gilbert, 2018. "Fishing and Nonfishing Income Decisions: The Role of Human Capital and Family Structure," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 94(1), pages 114-136.
    19. Catherine Benjamin & Hervé Guyomard, 1992. "Analyse de l'offre de travail des épouses des exploitants agricoles," Post-Print hal-01897088, HAL.
    20. Robert E. Evenson & Wallace B. Huffman, 1997. "Long-Run Structural and Productivity Change in U.S. Agriculture: Effects of Prices and Policies," Working Papers 773, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agecon:v:18:y:1998:i:2:p:127-143. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/agec .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.