Employment and Labor Productivity


 Table 2 shows employment and average sales per employee, reported by responding firms,
by firm size class. Total employment reported, including permanent and temporary employees, was
3,339. Overall, sales per employee averaged nearly $42 thousand. Larger firms had considerably
higher labor productivity. This finding is consistent with Strain and Hodges' (1989) results for
woody ornamental nurseries in Florida. A higher ratio of production workers to managers (non-
production workers) for larger firms represents an important economy of size. Small firms had
considerably lower labor productivity, at less than $30 thousand per employee.

 Table 2--Industry Employment and Sales Per Employee by Firm Size Class,
 104 woody ornamental nurseries in Florida, 1988.

 Total Avg. Employees Avg. Sales
 Class Employees Per Firm Per Employee

 Small 356 9.4 31,367
 Medium 517 20.7 43,936
 Large 1,280 41.3 51,753
 Very Large 1,186 131.8 51,808
 ---------------------------------------
 3,339 32.1 41,954

Sales by Product Type

 Table 3 shows sales dollars and percentages reported for major types of woody ornamental
products. Evergreen shrubs were the most important type of product, representing $40.7 million in
sales, or 39.6 percent of total industry sales, with broad-leaved evergreen shrubs accounting for 26.1
percent and narrow leaved evergreens 13.5 percent. Evergreen trees represented $15.2 million
(14.8%) in sales. Deciduous trees comprised $11.8 million (11.5%) of sales. Also having a significant
market share were vines and groundcovers (8.3%), fruit trees (7.4%), deciduous shrubs (5.9%),
propagating material (4.0%) and other unclassified products (4.2%).

 Table 3--Sales by Product Type and Firm Size Class,
 104 woody ornamental nurseries in Florida, 1988.

Product Type Small Medium Large Very Large Total

 -------------------1,000 dollars--------------------
Deciduous trees 856 2,424 4,190 4,325 11,795
Deciduous shrubs 392 208 1,800 3,619 6,019
Broadleaved evergrn shrubs 2,397 4,571 12,997 6,830 26,796
Narrowleaved evergrn shrubs 1,605 3,101 4,780 4,379 13,865
Evergreen trees 410 3,953 8,966 1,841 15,171
Vines & ground covers 838 1,371 5,518 765 8,492
Roses 90 7 323 2,272 2,691
Herbaceous perennial 300 345 591 68 1,304
Tree fruits 69 67 4,379 3,058 7,572
Small fruits 1 7 32 414 453
Propagating material 1,316 854 1,607 295 4,072
Other 0 0 972 3,310 4,282

Total All Types 8,273 16,907 46,155 31,176 102,511