Table 1 summarizes the average annual
quantities supplied and demanded by degree
level and occupational cluster for college
graduates qualified for positions in the food
and agricultural sciences, for the period 1980-
1985. For this period, there is projected to
be an average annual demand of 59,780 col-
lege graduates in agriculture, natural re-
sources, and veterinary medicine. At the same
time, there is projected to be an average
annual supply of 51,976 college graduates.
Of this total, 74 percent, or 38,424, are
projected to be graduates of colleges of ag-
riculture, natural resources, and veterinary
medicine. Some 26 percent, or 13,552, are
projected to have related degrees such as
economics, microbiology, marketing, me-
chanical engineering, business, and genetics
which compete in the professional employ-
ment market in the food and agricultural
sciences (Goecker).
As depicted in Table 1 and Figure 1, the
average annual quantity demanded exceeds
average annual quantity supplied by the larg-
est percentage factors for occupational clus-
ters representative of miscellaneous
agricultural specialists (50 percent), admin-
istrators∕managers∕financial advisors (30 per-
cent), and manufacturing and process
scientists and engineers (18 percent). In ab-
solute numbers, the largest shortages occur
in the occupational clusters for miscella-
neous agricultural scientists, administrators/
managers∕financial advisors, sales and serv-
ices representatives and purchasing agents,
and scientific and professional specialists. Also
summarized in Table 1 and Figure 2 are the
supply∕demand relationships by occupa-
tional clusters, degree types (i.e. agriculture
and agriculturally related), and degree
level—associate, baccalaureate, masters,
doctoral, D.V.M., (Coulter and Stanton,
1980). The extent to which the various de-
gree levels should be available to meet the
needs is highly variable by cluster groupings
and requirements. For example, within the
Scientific and Professional Specialists group-
ing the average annual number of agriculture
degree recipients satisfies 75 percent of the
needs; agriculturally-related graduates satisfy
approximately 15 percent of the needs
(Coulter and Stanton, 1980). However, within
the total demanded, approximately 50 per-
cent is supplied by baccalaureate degree re-
cipients and the remaining 25 percent is
supplied by masters, doctorates, and D.V.M.
degree recipients.
With the exception of the Educators group-
ing, there appears to be significant shortages
of college graduates forthcoming in the
1980s. This cluster includes secondary school
vocational agriculture teachers, adult edu-
cation teachers specializing in agriculture
and food, and college faculty involved in
teaching and research directly related to ag-
riculture (Goecker). This group also includes
occupations within the Cooperative Exten-
sion Service, excluding home economics. For
this group, projected average annual quantity
demanded is 3,639 graduates while average
annual quantity supplied is 5,337. On the
surface, it would appear that a surplus of
educators will be available. According to
Goecker1 however, one must look beyond the
number of educators trained each year to
effectively analyze this particular component
of the labor force. Various studies have shown
that many, as much as 55 percent, of voca-
tional education graduates do not accept em-
ployment as educators (Goecker1 p.7).
Thus, it might appear that many vocational
education graduates are bid away by business
and industry. This might suggest that many
of the shortages otherwise thought to exist
in some of the other occupational clusters
are being filled by these graduates. Likewise,
Goecker indicates that there is significant
evidence that colleges and universities are
also being outbid by other employers for
entry-level professors. Areas where the most
significant shortages of college educators ap-
pear to occur are in agricultural engineering,
agricultural economics, animal production,
and in the plant and forest sciences.
The continued success of American agri-
culture is highly dependent upon a stable
flow of human resources in the form of well-
educated recruits (Dunkelberger et al.). In
response to expanded missions in food and
agricultural teaching and research during the
late 1940s and early 1950s, many universities
significantly increased their faculties
(Goecker). As these faculties reach retire-
ment now and within the next few years,
there appears to be some significant shortages
looming ahead. The attraction to youth of
high ability and motivation is vital to the
maintenance of the status achieved by U.S.
agriculture.
LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS FOR
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS
Labor market conditions for economists and
63