Which figure represents the share of US jobs in production farming?

• A. 2%
• B. 12%
• C. 22%
• D. 32%

Answer: (A)

On the on-farm side, labor needs are a small slice of the workforce because farming has become highly automated and productive per worker. Today, roughly 2% of US jobs are in production farming, so this figure best represents the share. The remaining employment in agriculture tends to be in processing, packaging, distribution, research, and other roles connected to food systems rather than on the farm itself. The higher percentages would imply a much larger farming labor force than exists in reality, which is not supported by how agricultural work is distributed today.