County-level data shows that 53% of rural counties lost workforce from July 2014 to July 2015

The number of rural jobs are up, but the number of people looking for jobs in rural areas has gone down, according to county-level data from the national employment report for August, Bill Bishop reports for the Daily Yonder. From July 2014 to July 2015, rural areas gained 152,000 jobs. During that same time the number of people looking for work declined by 177,000, meaning that the total workforce declined by 25,000.

Overall, 53 percent of rural counties—1,042 total counties—lost workforce, while 56 percent of urban counties gained workers, Bishop writes. Nationwide, the U.S. gained 650,000 jobs from July 2014 to July 2015, and the national unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent. The percentage of people looking for work is at an all time low at 63 percent. The main reason is that more people of working age have left the workforce. (Yonder map: For an interactive version, click here)