Overview

Labor-market conditions impact both individual and community well-being. Important indicators of labor-market conditions include the unemployment rate, employment growth, and earnings levels.

Educational attainment is closely linked to labor-market outcomes, as those who are more highly educated generally receive higher earnings and are less likely to be unemployed. Rural (nonmetropolitan) areas are closing the gap with urban (metropolitan) areas in high school completion, but the college completion gap is growing. Workers with a college background generally fare better in the labor market. This is especially true in urban areas.

A summary of rural employment topics (among other rural issues) is found in the Rural America at a Glance series, updated in the fall of each year. See the latest in the series:

Rural America at a Glance: 2024 Edition

For a summary of conditions and trends in education in rural areas, see the ERS report:

Rural Education at a Glance, 2017 Edition

This topic is organized into sections on Rural Employment and Unemployment and Rural Education.

Rural America at a Glance: 2024 Edition The Poverty Area Measures Data Product The Nature of the Rural-Urban Mortality Gap Rural America at a Glance: 2023 Edition Three USDA Rural Broadband Programs: Areas and Populations Served

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Job Losses Hit Rural Areas Still Recovering From Great Recession Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Educational Attainment Persist in Rural America Disabilities in the U.S. Farm Population Educational Attainment a Key Factor in Rural Patient Uptake of Telehealth Activities Rural Healthcare Facilities Had Modest Job Growth, but No Measurable Employment Impact on Other Sectors

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County-level Data Sets Area and Road Ruggedness Scales Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America County Typology Codes Poverty Area Measures

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Rural Poverty & Well-Being Farm Labor Population & Migration Rural Classifications Business & Industry

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