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De-agriculturalization as a result of productivity growth in agriculture

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  • Üngör, Murat

Abstract

This paper explores the secular decline in the employment share in agriculture as a result of productivity growth in the agricultural sector. I study an equation that states that employment share in agriculture is determined by the subsistence constraint and productivity in agriculture. Given the calibrated value for subsistence level of consumption in agriculture, labor productivity in this sector implies a share of employment in agriculture in the model that turns out to be very close to the data for a variety of countries between 1963 and 2005.

Suggested Citation

  • Üngör, Murat, 2013. "De-agriculturalization as a result of productivity growth in agriculture," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 141-145.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:119:y:2013:i:2:p:141-145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2013.02.009
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    Cited by:

    1. Do, Manh Hung & Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Grote, Ulrike, 2023. "Land consolidation, rice production, and agricultural transformation: Evidence from household panel data for Vietnam," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 157-173.
    2. Do, Manh Hung & Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Grote, Ulrike, 2026. "Crop commercialization, structural change and income inequality: Insights from smallholder farmers in rural Southeast Asia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    3. Murat Ungor, 2017. "Productivity Growth and Labor Reallocation: Latin America versus East Asia," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 24, pages 25-42, March.
    4. Alistair Dieppe & Hideaki Matsuoka, 2025. "Sectoral decomposition of convergence in labor productivity: a re-examination from a new dataset," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(4), pages 1829-1859, April.
    5. Thi Long Vy Le & Truong Lam Do & Huu Nhuan Nguyen & Trung Thanh Nguyen, 2023. "Farmland accumulation and rural household income: evidence from the Red River Delta region of Vietnam," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(11), pages 458-469.
    6. Wolfgang Britz & Roberto Roson, 2019. "G-RDEM: A GTAP-Based Recursive Dynamic CGE Model for Long-Term Baseline Generation and Analysis," Journal of Global Economic Analysis, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, vol. 4(1), pages 50-96, June.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N50 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General

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