Rural job rate has increased, but at a much slower pace than in metro areas

Metro jobs are growing at a much faster rate than non-metro ones, says a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bill Bishop writes for the Daily Yonder. From August 2013 to August 2014, metro areas added 1.97 million jobs, an increase of 1.6 percent. During that same span non-metro areas added 67,800 jobs, an increase of 0.8 percent.

"Some of the fastest job growth could be found along the Kansas/Colorado border," Bishop writes. "The BLS survey in August found only 23 people looking for jobs in Wallace County, Kansas, which had a 40 percent increase in jobs in the last year. Eight of the 10 counties with the fastest job growth were in Colorado—Baca, Philips, Jackson, Kit Carson, Bent, Washington, Mineral and Kiowa." Jobs decreased by more than 10 percent in six counties: Treasure County, Montana; Dewey County, Oklahoma; Meagher County, Montana; Taylor County, Georgia; Weakley County, Tennessee; and Coal County, Oklahoma.

The unemployment rate in rural areas decreased from August 2013 to August 2014, from 7.3 percent to 6.3 percent, Bishop writes. In micropolitan areas, the rate decreased from 7.2 percent to 6.1 percent and in metro areas from 7.4 percent to 6.3 percent. (Read more) (Yonder map: To view an interactive version click here)