THE COMBINED RESULTS OF THE STUDIES OF SEVEN METROPOLITAN CENTERS AND 90 SEMI-URBAN AND RURAL TOWNS IN LOUISIANA SHOWED (1) THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED, NUMBER NEEDING AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCIES, EXPECTED NUMBER TO BE HIRED, AND NUMBER OF JOB TITLES, (2) CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPLOYEES SUCH AS AGE, EDUCATION, BACKGROUND, AND SALARY, AND (3) AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCIES NEEDED TO ENTER, CONTINUE, AND ADVANCE IN THE FIRMS. IN 2,430 BUSINESSES AND AGENCIES SURVEYED, 51,719 WORKERS WERE EMPLOYED OF WHICH 20,025 IN 1,699 JOB TITLES NEEDED AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCIES. JOB TITLES WERE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 9.5 PERCENT WITHIN 5 YEARS. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF WORKERS WERE IN THE OCCUPATIONAL FAMILIES (1) CROPS, FORESTRY, AND SOIL CONSERVATION, (2) FARM SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, (3) LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY, AND (4) AGRICULTURAL SERVICES, AND IN THE SEMISKILLED MANAGERIAL, SKILLED, AND SALES EMPLOYMENT LEVELS. TECHNICIAN LEVEL EMPLOYEES RANKED SEVENTH IN TOTAL NUMBER OF WORKERS AND WERE MOST NUMEROUS IN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE. MOST EMPLOYERS REQUIRED A MINIMUM JOB-ENTRY AGE OF 23 AND A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR ENTRY INTO THE OCCUPATIONS, AND MOST PREFERRED A FARM BACKGROUND FOR A MAJORITY OF THE POSITIONS. OTHER FINDINGS CONCERNED PROMOTION, PREREQUISITE EDUCATION, AGRICULTURAL COMPETENCIES, INSERVICE TRAINING, LICENSING, GROWTH, AND SUPPLY. TEN RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNED CURRICULUM CHANGES, WORK EXPERIENCE, CONTINUING EDUCATION, SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITY FOR JOB PLACEMENT AND FOLLOWUP, AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. AREA AND OTHER RELATED STUDIES ARE REPORTED IN VT 004 783 - VT 004 787. (JM)