Summarizes the revised economic and policy types of the Economic Research Service's rural county classification system. The new typology is based on conditions in more recent years, includes Alaska and Hawaii, redefines persistent poverty, includes more county types, makes economic types nonoverlapping, and classifies counties designated as…

The Midwest, Plains, and Delta are among the regions hit hardest by the current farm crisis. The vulnerability of an area to the financial crisis in farming depends on the financial conditions of its farmers, its dependence on farming--especially on export-sensitive crops--and the strength of its nonfarm economy. (JHZ)

The structure of nonmetro employment has become increasingly diverse and decreasingly agricultural. The precise policy implications of these shifts are not self-evident, but the increasingly nonagricultural character of the rural economy is at the heart of the population turnaround. (Author/KR)

Examines reversal of two longstanding unemployment patterns in 1980-82 recession: nonmetropolitan unemployment rate exceeded metropolitan rate and men's unemployment rate exceeded women's. Attributes reversals to recent changes in labor force: shift to service economy, expansion of women's role in workplace, and changes in women's working…

Economies in rural areas during the 1980s were characterized by (1) fewer jobs in resource-based industries; (2) job shifts from manufacturing to services; (3) an increasing concentration of low-wage, low-skill jobs in rural areas; and (4) a growing earnings gap and outmigration of the best educated rural workers. (KS)

Relative to metro growth, nonmetropolitan employment growth was 0.7-1.0 percent lower in the 1970s and 1980s than expected based on eight labor force and labor market variables. Discrepancies between actual and expected growth increased in more rural counties, suggesting the importance of the spatial dimension of rurality. (SV)

Small farmers are a diverse group, ranging from part-time hobbyists with good off-farm jobs to full-time operators. General rural development policies, rather than traditional farm policies, may be the best method to help those small farmers who earn insufficient income. (JHZ)

Unemployment rates vary considerably across nonmetro counties, where adjusted average annual unemployment rate was 12.2% in 1984 compared with 10.4% in metro areas. Differences in unemployment rates among nonmetro areas can be explained in part according to their dependence on agriculture, mining, manufacturing, or other single sources of income.…

The Nation's 678 rural manufacturing-dependent counties, hit much harder than other rural counties, have since been recovering more. Total employment growth in rural manufacturing counties exceeded growth in nonmanufacturing counties by about 1 percentage point during 1982-84 and by almost 3 percentage points during 1984-86. (Author)

Diversification of rural economies and changes in financial markets and world trade have broken down many barriers that insulated rural areas in the past. United States rural areas--the rural South and Northeast in particular--now appear to be affected slightly more than urban areas by national monetary and fiscal policies. (JHZ)

Discusses characteristics of counties with high poverty rates--sparser population, larger proportion of poor and most poverty-prone populations, less educated population, greater reliance on transfer payments, and higher proportions of income from farming. Suggests that government assistance in the form of income transfers could help alleviate…

Reviews employment growth in rural and small town communities, focusing on two periods, 1940-70 and 1970-80. For the rest of the 1980s, predicts a slower growth in nonmetro areas--that is, slower than in metro areas and slower than in the 1970s--yet not as slow as in the 1960s. (JHZ)

Compares rural and urban income levels of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanic workers by region for the years 1979 and 1987. Presents information on geographic concentrations of minorities. Suggests the economic status of rural minorities failed to improve because of the nonskilled or semiskilled job opportunities in areas where minority populations are…

Farm policy alone is no longer a sufficient development policy for today's rural America. Rural economies have changed over the last 30-40 years from reliance on farming to greater reliance on manufacturing and service industries. Rural economic development policies need to reflect today's changed rural economy. (Author)

Rural southern Georgia's economic growth in 1976-81 improved employment and income for Whites but had little effect on Blacks. The percentage of employed Blacks declined, their weeks of work per year dropped, and most remained in low-skill, low-wage occupations. Blacks had lower levels of experience, training, and schooling than Whites. (JHZ)