Social scientists have increasingly come to recognize the informal economy as a prominent and permanent structural feature of modern society. Rural sociologists have made a considerable contribution to this literature, demonstrating informal work to factor prominently in the livelihood strategies of rural Americans. Despite this scholarly…

It is widely recognized that the current and projected shortage of adequately-educated IT professionals could be greatly reduced if more female and minority students would major in IT disciplines, yet the dramatic under-representation of these populations appears to be worsening. This under-representation is reflected in Drexel University's…

Develops a model of teacher salaries and teacher supply and demand, including production functions, occupational choice, budget constraints, and district income and tax rates, as an aid in analyzing educational finance reforms. Tests the model on Pennsylvania school district data, using three different assumptions about labor market competition…

This report examines the potential pool of workers in nine rural New York and Pennsylvania counties, the characteristics of this labor pool, and barriers that make it difficult for these individuals to enter the workplace. The counties studied make up the southern tier of New York State (Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins…

This document reports on a needs assessment conducted to determine demographic, occupational, and educational data in Pennsylvania, results of which were to be used to update the state's comprehensive vocational education plan. Answers to three major questions were sought for Pennsylvania and its 67 counties. The questions and their subtopics were…