Originally, Föckelberg was a purely agricultural village. With the opening of the quicksilver mines in the Potzberg area, workers' families also settled here. In 1930, some 37% of the population worked at agriculture for their primary source of income. From statistics published in 1970 by the Verbandsgemeinde it can be noted that even then, 60% of the population were still somehow tied to agriculture. By then, though, the number of agricultural operations being worked as primary income sources had shrunk greatly, and working the land as a secondary occupation had become the norm. The decline of farming in Föckelberg has since progressed, and so most people seeking a livelihood nowadays must commute to jobs outside the village, mainly to the region around Kusel and to Kaiserslautern. Also of undoubted importance is tourism, mainly in connection with the Potzberg's summit with its mountain hotel, its lookout tower and its animal park.