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Regional Differences In The Contribution Of Off-Farm Work To Income Inequality

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  • El-Osta, Hisham S.
  • Bernat, G. Andrew, Jr.
  • Ahearn, Mary Clare

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of the Gini Coefficient and data from the 1991 Farm Costs and Returns Survey (FCRS) to measure the role of off-farm income and that of other income sources in the size distribution of farm operator households' total personal income. Disaggregated FCRS data by region and by level of participation in off-farm employment show that nonparticipating farm operator households have, as a group, higher income inequality than participating households. The results also indicate that, irrespective of the off-farm work status of the farm operator household, the distribution of income among households in the North Central region is least unequal and that in the West is most unequal.

Suggested Citation

  • El-Osta, Hisham S. & Bernat, G. Andrew, Jr. & Ahearn, Mary Clare, 1995. "Regional Differences In The Contribution Of Off-Farm Work To Income Inequality," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 24(1), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:arerjl:31465
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.31465
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    1. Mishra, Ashok K. & Holthausen, Duncan M., 2002. "Effect of Farm Income and Off-Farm Wage Variability on Off-Farm Labor Supply," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 31(2), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Shrestha, Sundar S. & Findeis, Jill L., 2005. "Space, Government Payments, and Off-Farm Labor Response of Principal Farm Operators: A County-Level Analysis," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19511, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    3. Mishra, Ashok K. & El-Osta, Hisham S., 2001. "Decomposition Of Variability In Assets And Debt Of Farm Households In The U.S," 2001 Annual meeting, August 5-8, Chicago, IL 20608, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    4. Sahrbacher, Amanda, 2012. "Impacts of CAP reforms on farm structures and performance disparities: An agent-based approach," Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Transition Economies, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), volume 65, number 65.
    5. Mishra, Ashok K. & El-Osta, Hisham S., 2002. "Risk Management Through Enterprise Diversification: A Farm-Level Analysis," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19711, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    6. Mishra, Ashok K. & El-Osta, Hisham S., 2005. "Decomposition of Variability in Farm Household Assets and Debt," Journal of Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics Association of Georgia, vol. 23(2), pages 1-20.
    7. Jabłoński Łukasz, 2019. "Inequality in Economics: The Concept, Perception, Types, and Driving Forces," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 27(1), pages 17-43, March.
    8. Kimhi, Ayal, 2009. "Land Reform and Farm-Household Income Inequality: The Case of Georgia," Discussion Papers 54159, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management.
    9. Kimhi, Ayal, 2009. "Does Non-Farm Income Increase Farm-Household Income Inequality? Evidence from Three Continents," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51433, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. El Benni, Nadja & Finger, Robert, 2013. "The effect of agricultural policy reforms on income inequality in Swiss agriculture - An analysis for valley, hill and mountain regions," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 638-651.
    11. Blank, Steven C., 2005. "Hedging with off-farm income: implications for production and investment decisions across farm sizes," 2005 Annual Meeting, July 6-8, 2005, San Francisco, California 291741, Western Agricultural Economics Association.
    12. Mishra, Ashok & El-Osta, Hisham & Gillespie, Jeffrey M., 2009. "Effect of agricultural policy on regional income inequality among farm households," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 325-340, May.
    13. Zelda Okatch & Abu Siddique & Anu Rammohan, 2013. "Determinants of Income Inequality in Botswana," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 13-15, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    14. Ahearn, Mary Clare & El-Osta, Hisham S. & Dewbre, Joe, 2002. "The Impact Of Government Subsidies On The Off-Farm Labor Supply Of Farm Operators," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19825, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    15. O'Donoghue, Erik J. & Key, Nigel D. & Roberts, Michael J., 2005. "Does risk matter for farm businesses? The effect of crop insurance on production and diversification," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19397, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    16. Hopkins, Jeffrey W. & Morehart, Mitchell J., 2000. "Distributional Analysis Of U.S. Farm Household Income," 2000 Annual Meeting, June 29-July 1, 2000, Vancouver, British Columbia 36517, Western Agricultural Economics Association.

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