Abstract:
Moonlighting pursuing a secondary occupation alongside primary agricultural work has
emerged as a substantial income diversification strategy among rural agricultural workers in
Sri Lanka. This study investigates the determinants of moonlighting among agricultural
workers in the Maha Vilachchiya area of Anuradhapura district, a region heavily reliant on
seasonal agriculture and affected by economic volatility, unpredictable weather, and scarce
modern farming resources. A structured survey of 284 agricultural workers revealed that
67% (191 individuals) engage in moonlighting. Descriptive statistics showed an average
respondent age of 40.4 years, mean household size of 2.74, and average cultivated land of
4.91 acres. The average main job contributed a monthly income of Rs. 19,306, while
secondary jobs provided a higher mean income of Rs. 45,104. Applying a Probit regression
model, the study identified age, marital status, land ownership, land size, and second job
work hours as significant predictors of moonlighting participation. Specifically, younger and
married respondents were more likely to moonlight, while owning more land reduced this
likelihood. Each additional cultivated acre decreased the propensity to moonlight, whereas
each additional hour worked in a second job slightly increased the probability. Notably,
landless workers exhibited a 7.6% greater likelihood of engaging in moonlighting compared
to landowners. Model diagnostics indicated a strong fit (Pseudo R² = 0.9018), explaining
over 90% of variation in moonlighting status among respondents. The study concludes that
moonlighting is both a coping strategy for financial instability and a means to enhance
household resilience in the face of agricultural risks. These findings support targeted
interventions, such as improved access to vocational training, land policy reforms, and rural
employment programs, to stabilize and strengthen agrarian livelihoods in Sri Lanka’s dry
zones and comparable rural contexts
