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Rural Migration BlogCensus of Agriculture 2017: Commodities and ProducersMay 28, 2019 The Census of Agriculture found two million farms in 2017. Most were small operations, selling farm products worth less than $10,000. The largest 77,000 farms, each selling farm products worth $1 million or more, accounted for over two-thirds of total farm sales. Continue reading "Census of Agriculture 2017: Commodities and Producers"... Census of Agriculture 2017May 28, 2019 The federal Census of Agriculture for 2017, conducted in years ending in two and seven, was released in April 2019. Almost 72 percent of those to whom the questionnaire was sent responded. Continue reading "Census of Agriculture 2017"... Federal and State Minimum WagesMay 28, 2019 The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, but 29 states have raised their minimum wages above the federal level, such as the $12 an hour minimum wage in California in 2019. Many city and county governments have raised minimum wages, such as the $15 minimum wage in New York City. Continue reading "Federal and State Minimum Wages"... The Changing Nature of WorkMay 28, 2019 Most of the world’s 3.6 billion workers are in developing countries, where two thirds of workers have informal jobs, defined as jobs that do not offer workers minimum wage protections and work-related benefits such as social security and health insurance. Continue reading "The Changing Nature of Work"... USDA Projections to 2028May 28, 2019 USDA releases projections for the next decade each February. The projections to 2028 assume that consumer incomes will continue increasing in developing countries and that the US dollar will remain relatively strong. Rising incomes bolster demand abroad for US commodities, while the strong dollar makes US exports more expensive. Continue reading "USDA Projections to 2028"... Central American Families and the Border CrisisApril 12, 2019 Almost 92,000 migrants were apprehended just inside the Mexico-US border in March 2019, including 58,000 Central American parents with children and 8,900 children traveling alone. Some 107,212 families were arrested just inside the Mexico-US border in FY18. Continue reading "Central American Families and the Border Crisis"... Leading Wine Exporters to the USApril 12, 2019 Some 410 million cases of wine were sold in the US in 2018; each case is 2.4 gallons, and each gallon is five bottles. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and French Rosè were standout performers in 2018, with a growing volume sold at higher-than-average prices. Continue reading "Leading Wine Exporters to the US"... Rural Labor Force ParticipationApril 12, 2019 The US labor force participation rate, the share of persons 16 and older who are employed or looking for work, peaked at 67 percent in early 2001 and has fallen to 63 percent. Slower labor force growth and lower labor force participation can translate into slower economic growth unless productivity rises to offset fewer workers. Continue reading "Rural Labor Force Participation"... Who is Middle Class?April 12, 2019 The US has no official definition of middle class. Most definitions of middle class are based on household income. The median US household income in 2016 was $53,000, meaning that half of US households had higher and half had lower incomes. The average household income was higher, $83,100, because of high-income households. Continue reading "Who is Middle Class?"... World Population to Quadruple in Less than a CenturyApril 12, 2019 The world’s population, two billion in 1927, doubled to four billion in 1974 and is projected to reach eight billion in 2023. Continue reading "World Population to Quadruple in Less than a Century"...
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