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Feast or flee: Government payments and labor migration from U.S. agriculture

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  • D’Antoni, Jeremy M.
  • Mishra, Ashok K.
  • Barkley, Andrew P.

Abstract

Government payments have been a part of agriculture since 1933 and at no time has the government stated a policy objective of decreasing the agricultural labor force. The reality of the matter may be considerably different. Using time series data and new econometric techniques, this study finds agricultural policy may have an unintended impact on labor migration. Specifically, we find that government payments increased labor migration from the farm. From 1939 to 2007, increased direct government payments resulted in greater migration of labor from agriculture. Government policy appears to have shown limited success at sustaining the agricultural labor force.

Suggested Citation

  • D’Antoni, Jeremy M. & Mishra, Ashok K. & Barkley, Andrew P., 2012. "Feast or flee: Government payments and labor migration from U.S. agriculture," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 181-192.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:34:y:2012:i:2:p:181-192
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2011.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Unknown, 2003. "Decoupled Payments: Household Income Transfers In Contemporary U.S. Agriculture," Agricultural Economic Reports 34057, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    11. Mundlak, Yair, 1979. "Intersectoral factor mobility and agricultural growth:," Research reports 6, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Yue & Yao, Shunbo & Lin, Ying, 2018. "Effect of Key Priority Forestry Programs on off-farm employment: Evidence from Chinese rural households," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 24-37.
    2. 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.
    3. Seidu, Ayuba & Onel, Gulcan & Moss, Charles Britt, 2018. "Impact of International Remittance on Out-Farm Labor Migration in Developing Countries: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266531, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    4. A. Ford Ramsey & Tadashi Sonoda & Minkyong Ko, 2023. "Intersectoral labor migration and agriculture in the United States and Japan," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(3), pages 364-381, May.
    5. Ramsey, A. Ford & Sonoda, Tadashi & Ko, Minkyong, 2021. "Aggregation and Threshold Models of Intersectoral Labor Migration: Evidence from the United States and Japan," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315110, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Mishra, Ashok K. & Villacis, Alexis H. & Miller, Cristina D. M., 2022. "Market Facilitation Program Payments, Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage and Off-Farm Employment," IZA Discussion Papers 15834, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Tayebi, Zahra & Onel, Gulcan, 2017. "Revisiting the Neoclassical Model of Out-farm Migration: Evidence from Nonlinear Panel Time Series Data," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 259131, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. D'Antoni, Jeremy M. & Mishra, Ashok K. & Joo, Hyunjeong, 2012. "Welfare Implications of a Reduction in Government Payments: The Role of Fringe Benefits," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124766, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor migration; Agricultural policy; Direct government payments; Farm income; Farm households; Time-series analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J43 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Agricultural Labor Markets
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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