Why Do Fewer Agricultural Workers Migrate Now?

September 23, 2015

The share of agricultural workers who migrate within the United States has fallen by approximately 60% since the late 1990s. 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 (e.g., older workers, more females), while two-thirds was due to structural changes. In some years, demographic changes were responsible for half of the overall change.