Fringe Benefits in Operator Off-Farm Labor Supply: Evidence from Mississippi and Tennessee

摘要

Off-farm work by members of farm households has become a well-established strategy for using farm-based labor resources. Such employment provides both cash income and fringe benefits. The report develops and tests a theoretical model of off-farm work by farm operators that explicitly includes fringe benefits. Evidence from the USDA Mississippi-Tennessee Family Farm Survey supports the hypothesis that fringe benefits increase operator off-farm labor supply.