The U.S. pork industry represents a significant value-added activity in the agricultural economy and a major contributor to the overall U.S. economy. The $27.2 billion of gross cash receipts from hog marketings in 2023 represents only a portion of the total economic activity supported by the industry. Although the size and structure of the U.S. pork industry has changed through time, increased levels of production have supported jobs and generated earnings in the national economy. An estimated 573,311 U.S. jobs are involved in various aspects of the pork value chain – ranging from input suppliers to producers to processors and handlers as well as main-street businesses that benefit from purchases by people in those industries. Overall an estimated $37.6 billion of personal income and $62.7 billion of gross national product are supported by the U.S. pork industry based on 2023 levels of production, converted to current-year dollars.
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Holly Cook
Lee Schulz
Holly Cook is an economist with the National Pork Producers Council. Lee Schulz is a professor and Iowa State University-Extension livestock economist.
