A new report from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce challenges the common public perception that rural America and working adults are falling behind economically.
A study released Thursday found that rural America has strong blue-collar economies and can provide opportunities even for those without a bachelor's degree, but more investment is still needed in postsecondary education, training and career counseling.
“Rural Americans often feel a deep connection to their communities, but they are increasingly faced with the difficult choice of moving to urban areas or staying in rural areas with fewer professional and educational opportunities,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the center. From a press release. “Rural America needs more strategies and investments to sustain good jobs and create more economic opportunity.”
According to the report, working adults in rural areas are nearly as likely (50%) as their urban counterparts (54%) to have a “good job” or a job that pays at least $43,000 for workers ages 25 to 30. It happened. $55,000 for workers age 44 or 45 to 64.
Additionally, the survey results show that there are currently about 7.4 million rural residents with ‘good jobs’, making up about 13% of the entire U.S. workforce.
But the report also showed that job opportunities are not fair for everyone. Although white workers make up the majority of the rural workforce (81%), they make up a disproportionate share of good jobs (86%). Similar patterns exist across genders. groups; Men make up only 52% of the rural workforce but hold 63% of good jobs.
To continue to foster economic growth and establish greater equity in middle-class job opportunities in rural areas, the report recommends:
- Implement more comprehensive counseling services in K-12 schools and colleges to help students make informed decisions about their careers.
- Establish training programs targeting women and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
- Authorizes community colleges to award bachelor's degrees and consider providing free educational programs to help combat rural education desertification.
- Developing a high school-to-career pipeline that trains workers to fill local jobs that don't require a four-year degree.
- Optimize emerging sectors of the renewable energy industry to provide new jobs and additional federal funding to rural communities.