Education is closely linked with economic outcomes. This report highlights key trends in educational attainment among rural Americans and the relationship between educational attainment and economic prosperity for rural people and places. Rural Americans are increasingly educated, but gains in educational attainment vary across demographic groups.…

Dropping out of high school seriously impacts an individual's job opportunities, income potential and employment stability. To minimize those risks, individuals can earn a General Educational Development (GED) credential. Researchers have studied the impact of obtaining a GED on candidates' lives and found that the credential affects their…

The percentage of rural workers using computers on the job doubled to 36% during 1984-93, but remained below the urban rate (48.7%). Most of the rural-urban difference in on-the-job computer use reflects the higher educational level of the urban workforce and its larger share of professional, managerial, and white-collar workers. (Author/SV)

This booklet profiles key economic and social features of rural Arkansas. Data are drawn from reports by the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Arkansas state agencies. About half of Arkansas' people live in rural areas, and most of these live in open country (not incorporated areas) and are completely dependent on county…

Current Population Survey data indicate an overall decline in the rural-urban pay gap during the early 1990s (due to declining urban wages, not rising rural wages). In 1993, the earnings of 30 percent of rural full-time workers were below the poverty level. Compares low-income workers by gender, age group, education, and race/ethnicity. (LP)

Current Population Survey data indicate that value-added industries, which tend to use raw lumber and agricultural products as inputs, employed one-third of all rural manufacturing workers in 1996. Compared to other rural manufacturing workers, value-added workers generally had lower occupational status, less education, and lower incomes, and were…

Project Human Capital is a five-year research project designed to examine the impact of the college experience on the upward mobility of rural South Carolina State College students. A total of 5,916 freshmen, seniors, and graduates from three institutions of higher learning were surveyed; some 2,999 students responded for an overall response rate…

This document examines population trends and economic and social indicators in rural Idaho. The first few sections discuss the definition of "rural," rural challenges and strengths, and outside economic and political forces impacting Idaho's rural areas. Subsequent sections present data on population trends, migration patterns, race and…

Graphs, data tables, maps, and written descriptions give a statistical overview of rural Pennsylvania. A section on rural demographics covers population changes, racial and ethnic makeup, age cohorts, and families and income. Pennsylvania's rural population, the nation's largest, has increased more than its urban population since 1950, with the…

In 1996, nonmetropolitan immigrants lived mainly in the South (37%) and West (35%) but were unevenly distributed. Over half were Mexican; 38% of naturalized citizens, and 24% of noncitizens were children. Compared to metro immigrants, nonmetro immigrants had lower educational attainment, earnings, and rates of welfare assistance and higher poverty…

Formal and informal support systems are essential to empowering rural families to meet basic needs of health, education, and employment. Formal resources (institutions, agencies, professionals) are often lacking in rural areas and families rely on informal resources (extended family, church, social clubs). Characteristics of informal social…

Minorities constitute an increasing proportion of the population, particularly among children and younger working-age adults. In rural areas, the minority population is small overall but highly concentrated in certain areas; includes a high proportion of children; and is characterized by low education and employment levels. Education and…

Changes in social and economic characteristics of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area residents from 1970-80 are documented and compared with characteristics of the 1960s. Rural growth and change and rural-urban differences are emphasized in data on population, family, education, labor force, employment, income, poverty, and housing. All basic…

This report summarizes demographic, economic, and social statistics on Canada's rural and small towns through 1989. Rural and small towns include areas with populations of less than 10,000 persons or a population density of less than 400 per square kilometer. The first section examines rural-urban differences in population trends and age…

Dramatic demographic and socioeconomic shifts have occurred in rural areas over the last decade, increasing poverty among America's rural population. Analysis of the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey indicates that outmigration from rural areas, which has grown steadily since 1980, reached almost 1,000,000 between 1986 to 1987. Those…