A perspective on the market for agricultural economists: background, trends, and issues

This paper summarizes broad trends in the market for and training of agricultural economists, models of professional labor markets, and key issues facing the agricultural economics profession. The number of U.S. Ph.D. agricultural economists grew at a 7 percent rate during 1973 to 1983. An increasing share of them are being employed in business-industry. Some issues facing the profession are: potential imbalance in Ph.D.s supplied and demanded, type and quality of graduate education needed to meet diverse job roles of doctorates, demand growth potential for masters level agricultural economists.