Minnesota had highest employment in turkey production, with North Carolina close behind

Each year, millions of pounds of turkey are produced in the United States, allowing many Americans to make turkey the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving Day meals. In Minnesota, 957 workers were employed in the turkey production industry in March 2014; this was the highest among U.S. states and accounted for almost 20 percent of total U.S. employment in this industry. Workers in the turkey production industry are primarily engaged in raising turkeys for meat or egg production.

In March 2014, North Carolina had the second-highest number of workers employed in the turkey production industry (882), followed by Missouri (528), and California (449). In Texas, 74 workers were employed in this industry.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. Data are preliminary and derived from summaries of employment of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance. Because of BLS publication standards, data are not shown for all states employing workers in the turkey production industry.