MO study estimates 13,000 annual job openings in agriculture over the next decade

A Missouri study projects 13,000 annual job openings in agriculture over the next decade. The Missouri Agriculture Foundation and the University of Missouri Extension completed the study. MU Extension’s Mark White says demographics moving away from rural areas has caused headaches for agriculture-based employers.

White says businesses like large meat processors have struggled to find employees, pushing them towards automation to fill those jobs. He says the COVID-19 pandemic has sped up that process.