Characteristics of Agricultural Work Force Households, 1987

There were almost 5.4 million agricultural work force households (households in which some member does farmwork at some time during the year) in 1987, down 4.1 percent from 1985. About two-thirds of agricultural work force households depend little on farmwork for employment, according to the 1987 Agricultural Work Force Survey. Those most affected by farm job loss would be the 1.5 million high-dependence households in which the head is primarily employed at farmwork. While most agricultural work force households are in the Eastern United States, the West has a greater proportion of households highly dependent on agriculture. This report provides national- and regional-level information on the number and characteristics of agricultural work force households, the persons living in these households, and the degree to which they depend on agriculture for employment