Study: U.S. poultry indistry benefits the economy

A new study is providing a snapshot of how the poultry industry is faring economically.

Gwen Venable is executive vice president of communications with the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

“The study shows that for 2022, companies involved in the production and processing of poultry provide 2,012,269 jobs that pay $125.6 billion in wages to families throughout the country and generates approximately $556 billion in annual economic impact and around $33.7 billion in taxes,” she says.

She says the study also breaks down poultry into three subcategories including chicken, turkey, and eggs.

“The chicken industry provides 1,517,797 jobs, $94.9 billion in wages, $417 billion in economic activity, and $25.5 billion in government revenue. The turkey industry provides 362,437 jobs, $22.7 billion in wages, $99.5 billion in economic activity, and $6.1 billion in government revenue,” she says. “And, the egg industry provides 112,723 jobs, $6.9 billion in wages, $33.7 billion in economic activity, and $1.8 billion in government revenue.”

The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association funded the first study in 2012 and it’s updated every other year.

“When we first conducted the survey in 2012, the poultry industry provided 1.3 million jobs, $63 billion in wages, $23.4 billion in government revenue, and $265.6 billion in economic impact to the US economy,” she says. “So, we’ve definitely seen that the industry has grown as apparent from the 2022 study.”

In South Dakota, the poultry industry supports nearly 12,000 jobs that pay about $731 million in wages and generates nearly $4 billion in annual economic impact.

In Nebraska, the poultry industry supports nearly 37,000 jobs that pay $2.5 billion in wages and generates about $13 billion in annual economic impact.

In Kansas, the poultry industry supports nearly 19,000 jobs that pay $1.5 million in wages and generates $6.6 billion in annual economic impact.

In Minnesota, the poultry industry supports nearly 89,000 jobs that pay $6.8 billion in wages and generates $25 billion in annual economic impact.

In Iowa, the poultry industry supports nearly 61,000 jobs that pay $4.5 billion in wages and generates $23 billion in annual economic impact.

In Missouri, the poultry industry supports 66,000 jobs that pay $4.4 billion in wages and generates $17.7 billion in annual economic impact.

In Arkansas, the poultry industry supports nearly 160,000 jobs that pay $8.9 billion in wages and generates $38.8 billion in annual economic impact.

In Tennessee, the poultry industry supports 40,000 jobs that pay $2.2 billion in wages and generates $10 billion in annual economic impact.

In Wisconsin, the poultry industry supports nearly 36,000 jobs that pay $2.4 billion in wages and generates $9.9 billion in annual economic impact.

In Illinois, the poultry industry supports 52,000 jobs that pay $5.3 billion in wages and generates $18 billion in annual economic impact.

In Michigan, the poultry industry supports nearly 32,000 jobs that pay $1.8 billion in wages and generates $8.5 billion in annual economic impact.

In Indiana, the poultry industry supports 49,000 jobs that pay $2.8 billion in wages and generates $15 billion in annual economic impact.

In Ohio, the poultry industry supports nearly 77,000 jobs that pay $3.9 billion in wages and generates nearly $21 billion in annual economic impact.

U.S. poultry industry data is available on interactive websites and can be viewed collectively or by individual product—chicken, turkey, and eggs. The information is sorted nationally by state, congressional district, state house district or state senate district, and county.

The economic impact study, conducted by New-York based John Dunham and Associates, was funded by U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

Venable says the poultry economic impact model was developed by Dunham and Associates based on data provided from the USDA, several national and state poultry trade associations and groups, and various state agriculture departments.

The study uses data from 2022 and was completed in October.

Venable says the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association is the all-feather organization serving poultry and egg members through research, education, communications, and technical services. Members include producers and processors of broilers, turkeys, ducks, eggs, and breeding stock, as well as allied companies.

Tags: Turkey, Poultry, chicken, eggs, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association