Rural America has long been perceived as "left behind" by policies that leave it struggling while benefiting bustling urban cities and suburbs. That narrative holds some truth: rural America has a declining population, along with lower educational attainment and lower workforce participation than urban America. But while rural America…

Intended for rural development practitioners and extension educators, this publication examines trends and issues in the revitalization of rural America. Chapter 1 defines community economic vitality as the capacity to ensure a flow of jobs and income over time; focuses attention on the realities of competition between communities and the…

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)

This paper analyzes economic trends to determine if education should be the focal point for rural economic development. According to the labor shortage/skills mismatch view, the movement toward a "service economy" will accelerate in the 1990s, increasing the number of skilled jobs and the demand for skilled workers. This…

The Annual Rural Manpower Report is a summary of events and programs affecting rural communities during 1975. Intended as a general overview of activities in rural Maine, it is not an indepth study of all manpower programs serving the state. Part I provides the annual summary and discusses planning, economic development, employment and…

A study of a small town in the Mississippi Delta, Madison, Arkansas, questions the myth that poverty means resignation. The study concluded that the major deterrents to getting and holding jobs were lack of transportation and unsatisfactory work environments. (Author/JB)

Using a developmental stages model, the extent and characteristics of manufacturing development in the nonmetropolitan South between 1940 and 1970 were examined. Focus was on whether industrialization comes in different phases and whether its impact on the rural poor varies during each phase. Nonmetro labor markets (counties more than 50 miles…

Reviewing the operations of the Rural Manpower Services as administered by the Tennessee Department of Employment, this annual report reveals factors which have influenced 1974 placement services for rural employers and workers. Areas covered include: planning; economic developments; employment and unemployment trends; services for rural people;…

The orientation of counties to metropolitan systems and urban centers is identified by population density and percentage of urban population. This analytical framework differentiates 6 kinds of counties, ranging from most urban-oriented (group 1) to least urban-oriented (group 6). With this framework, it can be seen that the economic well-being of…

The purposes of the National Rural Studies Committee (NRSC) are to develop a comprehensive and coherent framework for viewing rural area problems, and to provide legitimacy for rural studies as an academic field of specialization. This first NRSC meeting focused on the picture of rural America drawn in American literature, the nature of employment…

The Appalachian Regional Commission was set up to promote the overall development of the Appalachian region through a phased series of public investments. This report focuses on what has been accomplished by the Commission in the 1971 fiscal year. It gives a general accounting of how funds have been used and how the program is financed. The…

Lying within the Cumberland Plateau of Appalachia, the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) comprises eight rural Kentucky counties: Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, and Wolfe. This report reviews regional history of economic development and examines socioeconomic indicators, including education, poverty, and the…

This paper asks whether manufacturers of high technology are locating production facilities in nonmetropolitan areas and, if so, which industries and geographical areas are affected. It identifies high-technology manufacturers and estimates national employment trends for the sector from 1975 to 1982. National and regional employment data for…

The Appalachian Regional Commission, established by the 1965 Appalachian Regional Development Act, has as its overall goal the economic and social development of the region. The program brings together the more than 18 million Appalachian citizens and local, State, and Federal governments in a cooperative effort to build a better life. In 1973,…