Plains States have lower unemployment rates than rest of rural U.S.; population loss a factor

Rural counties in the Plains States have fared better than the rest of rural America in recovering jobs since the recession, says a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, Tim Marema reports for the Daily Yonder.

The report said one of the main reasons Plains States have recovered so well is that they rely more on agriculture—which continued to do well during the recession—and rely less on manufacturing—which struggled during the recession, Marema writes. Another reason is that Plains States have more college graduates, with 52 percent of Plains States residents having a degree, compared to 46 percent in other states. The report said, “During the recession, their higher levels of education served to limit the increase in unemployment in Plains counties.”

A less positive reason for the success in Plains States is that those states lost population at greater rates than other states, Marema writes. "That means fewer people looking for work and, in turn, fewer people who are unemployed." (Read more) (USDA map)