Why Do Fewer Agricultural Workers Migrate Now?

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Forthcoming

36 Pages Posted: 24 Dec 2014

See all articles by Maoyong Fan

Maoyong Fan

Ball State University - Department of Economics

Susan Gabbard

JBS International

Anita Pena

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Jeffrey M. Perloff

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics

Date Written: November 16, 2014

Abstract

The share of agricultural workers who migrate within the United States has fallen by approximately 60% since the late 1990s. To explain this decline in the migration rate, we estimate annual migration-choice models using data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey for 1989-2009. On average over the last decade of the sample, one-third of the fall in the migration rate was due to changes in the demographic composition of the workforce, while two-thirds was due to changes in coefficients (“structural” change). In some years, demographic changes were responsible for half of the overall change.

Keywords: Migration, agricultural workers, demographics

JEL Classification: J43, J61, J82, Q19

Suggested Citation

Fan, Maoyong and Gabbard, Susan and Pena, Anita and Perloff, Jeffrey M., Why Do Fewer Agricultural Workers Migrate Now? (November 16, 2014). American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2542453

Maoyong Fan

Ball State University - Department of Economics ( email )

Whitinger Business Building, room 201
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306-0340
United States
765-285-5741 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/maoyongfan/home

Susan Gabbard

JBS International ( email )

5515 Security Lane, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20852-5007
United States

Anita Pena

Colorado State University, Fort Collins ( email )

Fort Collins, CO 80523-1771
United States

Jeffrey M. Perloff (Contact Author)

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics ( email )

207 Giannini Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States
510-642-9574 (Phone)
510-643-8911 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://are.berkeley.edu/~perloff

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