More than half of rural workers hold middle-skills jobs, which don't require a four-year degree

Rural Americans are big at middle-skill jobs, which require at least some on-the-job training, an apprenticeship or similar experience, or post-secondary education that doesn't consist of a four-year degree. More rural Americans hold middle-skills jobs than do their urban counterparts, and the percentage of rural workers holding such jobs has not changed, while numbers have declined in urban areas, according to research by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. (Graph: Current Population Survey)

Fifty-one percent of rural workers held middle skills jobs in 2012, compared to 42 percent in urban areas, Carsey reports. In urban areas, white, Hispanic, and black workers were equally likely to hold middle-skill jobs, but in rural areas Hispanics were substantially more likely to hold a middle-skill job than white or black workers. Older workers are more likely than younger workers to hold middle-skill jobs.  The full report can be viewed here.