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Full-Text Articles in Rural Sociology
Introduction To The Special Issues (Volumes 15 & 16) On Southern Rural Labor Markets, Lionel J. Beaulieu, David Freshwater
Introduction To The Special Issues (Volumes 15 & 16) On Southern Rural Labor Markets, Lionel J. Beaulieu, David Freshwater
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Introduction to the Special Issues on Southern Rural Labor Markets
The Geography Of New Manufacturing Technology: Implications For The Nonmetropolitan South, David A. Mcgranahan
The Geography Of New Manufacturing Technology: Implications For The Nonmetropolitan South, David A. Mcgranahan
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Despite the growth in services, manufacturing remains an essential part of the nonmetropolitan South's economy, responsible for 25 percent of total personal earnings. But low-education nonmetropolitan areas, which gained more than their share of manufacturing jobs in the 1970s and 1980s, lost jobs in the 1990s. Their manufacturing base is threatened not only by low-wage competition from abroad, but also by the spread of new technologies, which is raising the demand for production worker skills. Data from the Economic Research Service Rural Manufacturing Survey (RMS) show that labor quality is a central problem for adopters, particularly in low-education areas. The …
Spatial Labor Markets, New Economic Geography, And Urban-Rural Linkages: Implications For The Rural South, Mark S. Henry
Spatial Labor Markets, New Economic Geography, And Urban-Rural Linkages: Implications For The Rural South, Mark S. Henry
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
To reach the levels of prosperity in the urban South, rural leaders have a three-fold challenge: to improve human capital, to improve local amenities, and to identify the niche of rural communities in the new economic regions of the South, in other words, spatial labor markets will play a key role. The article first reviews key problems facing rural communities in the South that are likely to cause rural earnings-per-worker and employment opportunities to lag behind those in urban centers. Next, examples are given of the types of empirical and conceptual work needed to examine the role that space plays …
What Does The Future Hold? What Globalization Might Mean For The Rural South, Amy K. Glasmeier, Robin M. Leichenko
What Does The Future Hold? What Globalization Might Mean For The Rural South, Amy K. Glasmeier, Robin M. Leichenko
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This paper considers the implications of economic globalization for rural communities in the U.S. South. Despite significant gains in average incomes and educational attainment in the South over the past 30 years, the paper finds that the rural South's longstanding reputation as the nation's low-wage, low-skilled region remains largely intact. In particular, manufacturing wages in the rural South have remained stagnant relative to the rest of the United States. Furthermore, as dominant sectors such as textiles and apparel continue to experience price competition and international pressure, there will likely be additional downward pressure on wages in low-skill southern industries, and …
Functional Skill Requirements Of Manufacturing Employment In The Rural South, Timothy R. Wojan
Functional Skill Requirements Of Manufacturing Employment In The Rural South, Timothy R. Wojan
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
This analysis compares the functional skill requirements of manufacturing employment in rural and urban areas of six Southern states. The General Educational Development-Reasoning Scale provides information on the cognitive requirements of various work tasks while Specific Vocational Preparation provides information on the time of training needed for average performance in a job. The analysis identifies three distinct patterns of comparative skill requirements. Traditional Rural Production is characterized by substantial low-skill employment in both rural and urban areas-the modest number of high-skilled workers are found predominantly in urban areas. Spatial Division of Labor Production is characterized by a large share of …
Service Industries And Employment Growth In The Nonmetro South: A Geographical Perspective, William B. Beyers, Peter B. Nelson
Service Industries And Employment Growth In The Nonmetro South: A Geographical Perspective, William B. Beyers, Peter B. Nelson
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Service employment has grown rapidly in the nonmetro South in recent years, accounting for 87 percent of overall job growth in the 1985-1995 time period. This pace has been sustained in nonmetro areas that are adjacent to metro areas, as well as in more remote nonmetro areas that are not adjacent to metro areas. Retail, health, and producer services account for the largest share of service employment growth. In contrast to the United States as a whole, which experienced declines in manufacturing employment, the nonmetro South has had increases in manufacturing employment. This growth of manufacturing has stimulated the local …
Industry Clusters And Rural Labor Markets, G. Andrew Bernat Jr.
Industry Clusters And Rural Labor Markets, G. Andrew Bernat Jr.
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Along with the recent resurgence of interest in the agglomeration and clustering of economic activity, there has been increasing interest in industry clusters as a potential economic development strategy. Ultimately, the question of whether or not clusters are an appropriate focus of economic development strategies for rural areas depends on the relationship between clusters and local economic growth. The primary purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the issues involved in measuring the relationship between clusters and rural economic growth. Preliminary evidence of a positive association between industry clusters and rural earnings growth are presented, supporting the notion …
Employment Change In The Nonmetropolitan South: An Overview Of Recent Trends And Future Prospects, David L. Barkley
Employment Change In The Nonmetropolitan South: An Overview Of Recent Trends And Future Prospects, David L. Barkley
Journal of Rural Social Sciences
Employment growth in the nonmetropolitan South exceeds the national average, yet job losses are the norm for many counties in the region. In addition, the earnings per job differential between workers in the rural South and the nation has widened. Recent changes in the economic environment promise new challenges for many southern nonmetropolitan communities. The new economy is characterized by continued growth in service-reIated activities, the rapid adoption of new technologies and production organizations. corporate restructuring and industry clustering, and enhanced competitiveness resulting from globalization of markets. The implications of these changes for labor demand in rural areas will vary …