Federal Agricultural Workforce Declines

On today’s edition of “Economics on Tap,” Kimberly is joined by Anna Pope, agriculture and rural affairs reporter for KOSU and Harvest Public Media, to talk about how Oklahoma’s agricultural workers are faring amid wildfires, federal workforce reductions and shifting global trade tensions. One bright spot: beef prices! And, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "Oklahoma fire crews battling several wildfires" from KOSU
• "Oklahoma-based federal ag workforce lost nearly 1 in 5 of its employees last year" KOSU
• "Hunger rose slightly in the U.S., a new report shows. The USDA says it will stop tracking the data" from Harvest Public Media 
• "Oklahoma had a bumper wheat crop, but it's not alone. Here's what that means for producers" from KOSU
• "Beef prices keep rising. What will it take to bring them down?" from Marketplace
• "Gen Z Doesn’t Go to the Club. They Party at Coffee Shops Instead." from Texas Monthly
• "Job hunters turn to "reverse" recruiters to get an edge" from Marketplace
• "Americans drank more milk in 2024, reversing a decade-long decline" from Harvest Public Media 

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