The percentage of high school graduates in the rural South improved during the 1990s but lagged behind urban figures; the percentage of rural college graduates grew slightly. Rural-urban differences in educational attainment were even greater among minorities. The rural-urban income gap also widened and is not expected to improve, with few new…

Although the institutional structure of destination communities may remain unchanged by migration, the socioeconomic structure may be directly affected. Data from a statewide survey in Florida indicate that interstate migrants (who have lived in Florida less than 5 years), intrastate migrants (who have lived in Florida more than 5 years but in the…

Findings from current literature form the basis for this examination of five critical elements of change and development within the local community setting which impact on agriculture: population, employment, land, water, and environment. Renewed rural population growth during the 1970's has reversed small farm trends but placed strains on local…

Since the advent of the 1980s, the economic viability of many farm operations has been severely jeopardized. Although attention has been directed primarily to the Midwest, in many respects farm stress has been greater in the South than in any other region. What is clear, however, is that the crisis is not strictly an agricultural one. Rather, a…

Although the economic expansion of the 1990s was felt even in small towns and rural areas, events in recent months point out that the economic health of rural America remains fragile. Rural manufacturing has suffered sizable employment declines in recent months and only modest expansion has occurred in the service sector--the lifeblood of rural…

Agriculture and the railroad were significant forces in the development of Suwannee County, Florida, formally created in 1858 but explored and settled beginning some 300 years earlier. Lumber and cotton caused an early 20th century boom in the county which soon saw the negative effects of both industries. The introduction of tobacco in the late…

Monumental social and economic problems confront the rural communities of the South. Diversification of the rural economy is the key to revitalizing the rural South, but new industries, anticipating the need for a more highly skilled work force, find the region's human capital resources to be deficient. Vibrant economies are not sustainable in a…

The Community Choices program is designed to engage communities in a systematic assessment of the linkages between their human resource attributes and their economic development opportunities. This document contains seven modules. Modules 1-3 lay the foundation for doing public policy education work by (1) defining public policy education and…

This report examines the changing industrial structure of work in the southern United States, with particular emphasis on industry and occupational projections for this region and the educational requirements for tomorrow's jobs. Also examined are expected annual earnings, projected unemployment rates, and part-time employment trends associated…

In 1977 leaders of Hardee County, Florida, listed relationships and attitudes of residents, rural atmosphere, environmental conditions, and economic potential among the county's strong points, and public service and facility improvements, developing economic potential, recreational and entertainment development, and planning and zoning as its most…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) makes it possible to build human capital resources by providing employment services and training to youth and adult dislocated workers. Such services are particularly needed in the rural South, where those affected by welfare reform have few job skills or educational credentials. WIA calls for the…

An overview of rural development research in the United States Department of Agriculture's land grant environment focuses on southern 1862 and 1890 institutions. Although important to agricultural experiment stations, rural development research has received limited funding. A heterogeneous research program including human resources development,…