The COVID-19 Outbreak and Food Production Workers: Who is at Risk?
| Table 1: Selected Sociodemographic Characteristics of Food Production Workers, 2018 | ||||||
| All Workers | All Food Production | Animal Processing and Production | Crop Production | Other Food Manufacturing | Seafood and Other Miscellaneous Foods | |
| Total | 155,924,000 | 3,385,000 | 1,290,000 | 1,010,000 | 831,000 | 253,0000 |
| Age | ||||||
| 18-50 | 67% | 67% | 67% | 66% | 69% | 67% |
| 50-64 | 27% | 27% | 28% | 25% | 28% | 29% |
| 65+ | 6% | 6% | 5% | 9% | 4% | 3% |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 52% | 69% | 70% | 73% | 64% | 62% |
| Female | 48% | 31% | 30% | 27% | 36% | 38% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||||
| White | 62% | 51% | 53% | 45% | 54% | 50% |
| Black | 12% | 10% | 13% | 3% | 12% | 14% |
| Hispanic | 17% | 34% | 28% | 49% | 26% | 26% |
| Other | 9% | 6% | 6% | 3% | 7% | 10% |
| Citizenship Status | ||||||
| Citizen | 92% | 78% | 81% | 67% | 86% | 84% |
| Noncitizen | 8% | 22% | 19% | 33% | 14% | 16% |
| Language | ||||||
| Speaks another Language at Home | 22% | 37% | 33% | 49% | 31% | 32% |
| Fluent in English | 92% | 75% | 78% | 64% | 83% | 81% |
| Employment | ||||||
| Full-time | 76% | 82% | 86% | 74% | 85% | 87% |
| Household Income | ||||||
| <100% FPL | 6% | 9% | 7% | 13% | 6% | 6% |
| 100% < 200% FPL | 13% | 20% | 20% | 26% | 16% | 14% |
| 200% < 400% FPL | 30% | 36% | 38% | 34% | 36% | 38% |
| 400% FPL + | 50% | 35% | 35% | 27% | 43% | 42% |
| Health Insurance Coverage | ||||||
| Employer | 68% | 59% | 66% | 38% | 70% | 74% |
| Medicaid | 9% | 12% | 9% | 18% | 10% | 9% |
| Other | 5% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 3% | 3% |
| Non-Group | 7% | 7% | 6% | 11% | 6% | 4% |
| Uninsured | 10% | 17% | 15% | 26% | 12% | 10% |
| NOTES: Animal processing and production includes animal food, grain, and oilseed milling; animal production and aquaculture; animal slaughtering and processing; and dairy product manufacturing. Other Food Manufacturing includes bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, except retail bakers; beverage manufacturing, fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing; sugar and confectionary products; and not specified food industries. FPL is the federal poverty level. In 2020, the FPL is $12,760 for an individual and $26,200 for a family of four. SOURCE: KFF analysis of American Community Survey, 2018. |
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| Table2: All Workers and Food Production Workers by State, 2018 | ||||||
| All Workers | Food Production Workers | Animal Production and Processing | Crop Production | Other Food Manufacturing | Seafood and Other Miscellaneous | |
| Alabama | 2,092,000 | 45,000 | 30,000 | 5,000 | 6,000 | 4,000 |
| Alaska | 358,000 | 11,000 | 1,000 | – | 3,000 | 6,000 |
| Arizona | 3,227,000 | 44,000 | 13,000 | 17,000 | 11,000 | 3,000 |
| Arkansas | 1,289,000 | 82,000 | 59,000 | 12,000 | 8,000 | 3,000 |
| California | 18,436,000 | 587,000 | 88,000 | 317,000 | 146,000 | 36,000 |
| Colorado | 2,972,000 | 53,000 | 25,000 | 14,000 | 13,000 | 1,000 |
| Connecticut | 1,795,000 | 15,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 1,000 |
| Delaware | 469,000 | 12,000 | 7,000 | 3,000 | – | 2,000 |
| District of Columbia | 378,000 | 1,000 | – | – | – | – |
| Florida | 9,687,000 | 115,000 | 21,000 | 55,000 | 34,000 | 5,000 |
| Georgia | 4,914,000 | 107,000 | 46,000 | 23,000 | 27,000 | 11,000 |
| Hawaii | 667,000 | 11,000 | 2,000 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| Idaho | 813,000 | 51,000 | 22,000 | 17,000 | 10,000 | 2,000 |
| Illinois | 6,321,000 | 146,000 | 48,000 | 31,000 | 49,000 | 17,000 |
| Indiana | 3,257,000 | 72,000 | 31,000 | 16,000 | 17,000 | 9,000 |
| Iowa | 1,597,000 | 98,000 | 66,000 | 20,000 | 7,000 | 4,000 |
| Kansas | 1,424,000 | 62,000 | 35,000 | 16,000 | 7,000 | 5,000 |
| Kentucky | 2,000,000 | 55,000 | 23,000 | 11,000 | 16,000 | 4,000 |
| Louisiana | 2,011,000 | 27,000 | 10,000 | 8,000 | 6,000 | 3,000 |
| Maine | 665,000 | 12,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 4,000 | – |
| Maryland | 3,096,000 | 26,000 | 9,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 5,000 |
| Massachusetts | 3,584,000 | 30,000 | 8,000 | 6,000 | 12,000 | 4,000 |
| Michigan | 4,744,000 | 78,000 | 29,000 | 21,000 | 23,000 | 5,000 |
| Minnesota | 2,968,000 | 96,000 | 51,000 | 23,000 | 16,000 | 6,000 |
| Mississippi | 1,234,000 | 33,000 | 23,000 | 6,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Missouri | 2,939,000 | 93,000 | 51,000 | 19,000 | 18,000 | 5,000 |
| Montana | 519,000 | 23,000 | 13,000 | 6,000 | 3,000 | – |
| Nebraska | 973,000 | 55,000 | 33,000 | 16,000 | 4,000 | 2,000 |
| Nevada | 1,445,000 | 13,000 | 4,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 1,000 |
| New Hampshire | 720,000 | 6,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | – |
| New Jersey | 4,517,000 | 49,000 | 9,000 | 8,000 | 25,000 | 7,000 |
| New Mexico | 877,000 | 22,000 | 13,000 | 5,000 | 3,000 | 1,000 |
| New York | 9,438,000 | 95,000 | 33,000 | 20,000 | 36,000 | 6,000 |
| North Carolina | 4,867,000 | 115,000 | 53,000 | 31,000 | 24,000 | 7,000 |
| North Dakota | 391,000 | 16,000 | 4,000 | 10,000 | 2,000 | – |
| Ohio | 5,699,000 | 97,000 | 33,000 | 19,000 | 34,000 | 11,000 |
| Oklahoma | 1,789,000 | 41,000 | 25,000 | 9,000 | 7,000 | 1,000 |
| Oregon | 2,014,000 | 77,000 | 13,000 | 36,000 | 24,000 | 4,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,283,000 | 121,000 | 41,000 | 22,000 | 43,000 | 15,000 |
| Rhode Island | 525,000 | 5,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| South Carolina | 2,314,000 | 28,000 | 12,000 | 6,000 | 7,000 | 3,000 |
| South Dakota | 440,000 | 29,000 | 18,000 | 9,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Tennessee | 3,102,000 | 60,000 | 26,000 | 8,000 | 24,000 | 2,000 |
| Texas | 13,283,000 | 202,000 | 98,000 | 38,000 | 54,000 | 12,000 |
| Utah | 1,533,000 | 30,000 | 14,000 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 2,000 |
| Vermont | 325,000 | 12,000 | 7,000 | 2,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Virginia | 4,177,000 | 55,000 | 27,000 | 8,000 | 15,000 | 6,000 |
| Washington | 3,708,000 | 134,000 | 25,000 | 71,000 | 28,000 | 11,000 |
| West Virginia | 759,000 | 6,000 | 3,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 | – |
| Wisconsin | 2,999,000 | 124,000 | 73,000 | 17,000 | 25,000 | 10,000 |
| Wyoming | 290,000 | 8,000 | 6,000 | 1,000 | – | – |
| NOTES: Animal processing and production includes animal food, grain, and oilseed milling; animal production and aquaculture; animal slaughtering and processing; and dairy product manufacturing. Other Food Manufacturing includes bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, except retail bakers; beverage manufacturing, fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing; sugar and confectionary products; and not specified food industries. SOURCE: KFF analysis of American Community Survey, 2018. |
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