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Potential Mobility in Agriculture: Some Reasons for the Existence of a Labor‐Transfer Problem
Author(s) -
Baumgartner H. W.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.2307/1236154
Subject(s) - agriculture , transfer (computing) , economics , labour economics , economic geography , demographic economics , geography , computer science , archaeology , parallel computing
The purpose of this study was to explore relationships among selected economic, social‐psychological, and personal variables affecting potential mobility in agriculture. Potential mobility was regarded as an attitude, and was defined as the subject's degree of readiness to leave farming. Potential mobility was measured by means of an attitude scale. The influence of the independent variables was examined through the use of association techniques, including a controlled analysis. The statistical analysis supported the hypothesis that potential mobility among farmers is influenced by both economic and noneconomic factors. The most important of these proved to be age, income, and nonfarm work experience. Potential mobility declined with age, was related inversely to income among younger farmers, and increased with nonfarm work experience irrespective of age. It is concluded that improved opportunities for farmers to acquire off‐farm work experience may contribute to the solution of the labor‐transfer problem in agriculture.