Examines the roles of demographic composition, education, and industrial mix in explaining metro-nonmetropolitan differences in underemployment. Documents higher prevalence of "discouraged workers," unemployment, and underemployment in nonmetropolitan areas. Shows educational composition is single most important component accounting for…

Data from Current Population Surveys indicate that poverty rose rapidly among both nonmetropolitan and metropolitan workers during 1979-89, especially among young adults and females; and provide evidence of growing inequality of income between metro and nonmetro workers, a pattern that cannot be explained by differences in work attachment, human…

Analysis of census data indicates that female-headed households increased more rapidly in nonmetro than metro counties between 1980 and 1990; industrial restructuring contributed to change in nonmetro and metro female-headed households, with changes in various industries producing different effects; and formation of female-headed households was…

Examines trends in racial composition of the nonmetropolitan southern United States from 1950-1980. Documents percentage changes of Blacks in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Examines uniformity of racial change across counties and over time. Investigates how patterns of White and Black population change have contributed to shifts in racial…

Rural poverty among female-headed families with children has declined since 1996 welfare reforms. Moreover, the income of female-headed families has increased, while income from earnings has more than offset declines in public assistance income. Rural single mothers nevertheless continue to experience higher poverty rates than their urban…

Using measures sensitive to rural labor market conditions, determined that nearly a third of the rural labor force is underemployed--by being out of a job, working for low pay, or working too few hours. The current system of calculating unemployment rate seriously underestimates the extent of economic hardship in rural areas. (JHZ)

Analysis of census data on 19,748 persons, aged 16-24, examined the extent to which higher rural than urban dropout rates are attributable to spatial differences in family structure or economic resources. Poverty status accounted for more of the higher rural dropout rate than did differences in family structure. (KS)

Examines metropolitan and nonmetropolitan poverty rates using child records from 1960-80 Public Use Microdata Samples and 1990 population survey. With four indicators of poverty, shows increasing impoverishment during 1980s among nonmetropolitan children. Examines effects of female employment, education, and family size on children's economic…