Report: Food and agriculture sector will contribute $10.4 trillion to U.S. economy in 2026

The U.S. food and agriculture industries will produce $10.4 trillion for the economy in 2026, backing 48.7 million jobs, reports Feed & Grain staff.

Despite rising inflation and global trade pressures, the sector makes up almost 20% of the national economy, increasing profits by $894 billion each year, according to data from the Feeding the Economy report.

Food manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector in the country, from two million farms and ranches to 200,000 food manufacturing, processing and storage facilities. It also includes more than one million restaurants and foodservice establishments, and 200,000 retail food stores.

The economic impact of the food and agriculture sector in each state. (Interactive map via Feeding the Economy, Click here to choose your state.)

Some of the highlights from the report show the food and agriculture sector generating:

• More than $177.3 billion worth of exports
• More than $3 trillion in workers' wages
• 6.5% growth in direct employment over the last decade
• 4% yearly rise in wages and 13% rise over the last decade, surpassing inflation
• $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments, increasing 7% each year

Many rural communities rely on food and agriculture revenue as the backbone of their local economy, with wages reinvested to support local housing, healthcare, education, small businesses and infrastructure, reports Feeding the Economy. “From farm to factory and truck to table, food and agriculture's impact sustains jobs, powers commerce, and strengthens communities across America."

The 'War on Poverty' failed to help McDowell County, W. Va. They've decided they're on their own.

The once bustling streets of McDowell County today are empty. The county's only Walmart closed down in 2016. (Photo sources James Williams, 2020, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 2016, and Jamie in Wanderland, 2018 via William Vermillion)

The U.S. War on Poverty was launched more than 60 years ago as a social and humanitarian-driven initiative to address extreme poverty in regions like Appalachia. But for residents in McDowell County, W. Va., where the federal government "poured more than $3.6 billion into trying to ease hardship. … It hasn't worked," reports Dan Frosch of The Wall Street Journal. "Some two-thirds of households with children still get food stamps, among the nation’s highest rates."

McDowell residents have watched their once-vibrant coal town's population shrivel "from just over 51,000 to roughly 17,000," Frosch writes. "With little faith left in government to break the cycle of poverty, those who remain say it’s up to them to forge a brighter economic path."

While the billions in federal dollars couldn't replace the jobs and money the coal companies provided, new resources and a keen eye for a plan B have become part of McDowell's revival. Frosch explains: "A network of nonprofits has sprung up. Many are funded with federal grants and private donations and run by locals. Most have had to figure out how to keep going when government money runs out."

Often considered a food desert, some McDowell residents are learning mountain farming from their neighbors, Jason Tartt and Amelia Bandy, who "began transforming a 350-acre plot into a teaching farm," Frosch reports. "Tartt, Bandy and a shoestring staff have trained some 60 people on farming the mountain valleys."

Location of McDowell County in part of 
Appalachia (Earthstar Geographics, Esri, map)

Mavis Brewster, who heads the McDowell County Public Service District, has "spent the past two decades working to get clean water to as many people as she can with few resources," Frosch adds. "She spends her days jigsawing state and federal funding sources for new water systems."

Stacy Henderson is working for the nonprofit converting the area's old Walmart store into a new factory. She told Frosch, "There’s been this helicopter approach where people come in and tell the community, ‘This is what we’re going to do.' This project is being worked on from within.”

"Their efforts are small in comparison to the government programs that have sought to revive McDowell County," Frosch adds. "But they are spurring hope for renewal in some places, driven by one of the few constants here: resilience."

New $100K skilled-worker H-1B visa fee could mean fewer Indian doctors to treat rural residents

One in five immigrant doctors in the U.S. is of 
Indian origin. (Photo via BBC News)

The Trump administration's new $100,000 skilled-worker H-1B visa fee could leave fewer Indian doctors to treat rural populations. "One in four doctors providing care in the U.S. are foreign-trained, and recent data shows that most of them practice in the vast, underserved rural areas where American graduates are reluctant to work," reports Savita Patel of BBC News.

For the roughly 50,000 India-trained physicians currently working in the U.S., the new visa fee does not apply; however, there are worries around "whether the steady supply of Indian medical professionals to the U.S. would continue in the future," Patel explains. "According to research, one in five immigrant doctors in the U.S. is of Indian origin."

And while the administration may eventually decide to exempt medically trained workers from the new fee, currently, "there is no indication that any category of workers, including those in the medical field, has been exempted," Patel reports.

The American Medical Association asked the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristin Noem, to reconsider the new fee, "emphasizing that the fee hike could discourage hospitals from hiring H-1B doctors, affecting future supply pipelines and limiting patients' access to care in communities that need it the most," Patel adds.

Supporters of the fee hike insist it will keep "American jobs for Americans," Patel adds. But research on which jobs foreign medical workers take shows they are filling positions that American doctors don't want -- in regions that are "remote and low-income."

Given the financial straits many rural hospitals are already in, "any hike in the fee would make it harder to bring in new clinicians from abroad," Patel writes. Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the AMA, told Patel, "We have heard from health systems who say this fee would be devastating."

American consumers are worried about their energy bills, the job market and the increased cost of groceries

Americans deploy different strategies to counter grocery
costs. (Adobe Stock photo)

Between spiking energy bills and a dreary jobs market, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs documents the deep stress many Americans feel about their bills and future financial prospects, reports Olivier Knox of U.S. News and World Report. Along with those worries, American consumers continue to look for ways to counter the ever-increasing cost of groceries.

When asked about utility bills, 36% of poll respondents said their "electricity bills are a 'major' source of stress, and a bit more than one half – 54% – said the same about grocery costs, a little more than a year ahead of the November 2026 midterm," Knox writes.

Roughly 47% of polled adults said they were "'not very' or 'not at all confident' they could find a good job if they wanted to," Knox reports. This response marks a big increase from 37% the last time the question was asked in October 2023.

Polled responses were somewhat surprising given the U.S. economy's low unemployment numbers and healthy stock market gains. Knox adds, "But there are worrying signs, including a weakening labor market."

While many Americans express concern about the overall cost of living, most continue to battle ongoing grocery price increases, reports Christopher Kuo of The Wall Street Journal. According to the Labor Department data, since August 2024, the price of "coffee increased 20.9%, ground beef was up 12.8%, and bananas rose 6.6%. Dairy, fruits, vegetables and cereals have all become pricier."

In an effort to help stretch their food budgets, some consumers are "cutting back on purchases, stockpiling certain foods or exploring more-affordable stores," Kuo adds. Other shoppers have become choosier about what lands in their cart, while others scour sale-only items.

U.S. food costs are rising due to higher commodity prices for items like beef, along with market adjustments to tariffs. Kuo explains, "Some of these costs have been absorbed by food companies; others are being passed on to consumers."

Some residents in rural Mason, Tenn., don't want a migrant detention center in their town, but it's coming anyway

At times, the town meeting devolved into the mayor, left,
shouting at citizens. (YouTube, WREG, Memphis, Tenn.)

Despite raucous pushback from residents and activists during a recent town meeting in Mason, Tenn., the evening ended with the mayor and council members approving agreements to transition the town's closed prison into a migrant detention facility managed by a private company.

"The first vote of the meeting resulted in approval for a contract with CoreCivic to resume operating the facility, which was closed in 2021," Adrian Sainz of The Associated Press reports.  "The second vote was to approve an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

Eddie Noeman, Mason's mayor, who emigrated from Egypt, saw reopening the facility as a way to boost the town's lagging economy. "Noeman said he wanted to bring jobs and economic development to the town," Sainz explains. "With a population of about 1,300, Mason is located about 40 miles northeast of Memphis. When it was open, the prison was the town’s largest employer."

Before the start of the contentious meeting, Mason board member Virginia Rivers said she was not in favor of the town being connected to an ICE facility. She told Sainz, "I don’t like what ICE stands for, how they treat the people.” 

Once the contracts were approved, CoreCivic released a statement touting all the benefits the center will contribute to the town, such as good-paying jobs and tax generation.

Overall, CoreCivic has a darker reputation in Tennessee. Sainz reports, "The company has spent more than $4.4 million to settle about 80 lawsuits and out-of-court complaints alleging mistreatment — including at least 22 inmate deaths — at four Tennessee prisons and two jails from 2016 through September 2024."

Boar's Head plant in tiny Jarratt, Va., will reopen soon, but the company's poor sanitation record remains a concern

Boar's Head positions itself as an upscale
company, but state inspections show many problems.

Boar's Head deli meat indefinitely closed its Jarratt, Virginia, plant last September after 10 people died and dozens were hospitalized after eating listeria-tainted liverwurst from the facility. The plant, which was the major employer in the small town of 600 residents, is now slated for reopening. But a closer look at other Boar's Head facilities reveals a troubling pattern.

Jonel Aleccia of The Associated Press reports, "Boar's Head plants in Arkansas, Indiana and elsewhere in Virginia have been flagged for the same kinds of sanitation problems that led to the outbreak, with the most recent report in June."

Inspections since the beginning of 2025 report problems with "meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, drains blocked with meat products, beaded condensation on ceilings and floors, overflowing trash cans, and staff who didn’t wear protective hairnets and plastic aprons — or wash their hands," Aleccia reports. Similar conditions were repeatedly reported at the Jarratt plant prior to the nationwide listeria outbreak.

Recent inspection findings from Boar’s Head sites in Forrest City, Arkansas, New Castle, Indiana, and Petersburg, Virginia, "surprised outside food safety advocates who said that factory conditions should have improved," Aleccia explains. Instead, the reports "raise new questions about the company’s promises to address systemic problems."

Barbara Kowalcyk, who directs a food safety and nutrition security center at George Washington University, told Aleccia, "What jumped out to me is there is an organizational culture issue that needs to be changed. . . .Usually that culture has to start at the top.” 

Company officials refused to talk to the AP about the recent inspections, Aleccia reported.

Meanwhile, the USDA has lifted its forced suspension of the Jarratt facility, and the company is hiring for positions at the plant.

AI isn't coming for 'blue-collar' jobs. The skilled trades sector boasts 'high-tech, 21st-century, rewarding, well-paying jobs.'

Human work may change as AI enters
new markets. (Unsplash graphic)

Artificial intelligence may upend parts of the U.S. labor market, but "blue-collar" jobs are growing and expected to be less vulnerable to AI intrusion. "AI is supposed to displace millions of workers in the coming years — but when your toilet won't flush at 2 a.m., you're not going to call ChatGPT," reports Ben Berkowitz of Axios. "Companies are already boasting of saving hundreds of millions of dollars a year by using AI instead of humans."

AI might be able to regurgitate its "white-collar work" programming with razor-like precision, but putting on a new roof or installing electrical wiring won't be its domain. "The 40 most-vulnerable jobs (translators, historians, sales reps, etc.), basically all of them office work," Berkowitz writes. "The 40 least-vulnerable jobs (dredge operators, roofers, etc.), just about all of them manual labor."

Reinvigorating American labor and manufacturing has "become a key Trump administration economic talking point: Blue-collar wages are rising faster now than at the start of any other administration going back to Nixon," Berkowitz reports.

Even before the AI mega-data center expansions, there was a skilled trade worker shortage. "AI will, ironically, only make [the shortage] worse," Berkowitz explains. "Factories alone are short about 450,000 people a month, per the National Association of Manufacturers."

Jay Timmons, the CEO of NAM, told Berkowitz, "We're really talking about high-tech, 21st-century, rewarding, well-paying jobs. Manufacturers are really embracing what's coming, and they accept the responsibility."

Efforts to ramp up the number of American trade workers "will require a large-scale, national effort — not just for up-and-coming students, but for mid-career folks forced into a pivot," Berkowitz explains. "Everyone from politicians to CEOs recognizes just how badly they need tradespeople to keep the economy running." 

Department of Veterans Affairs reverses course on mass layoffs after pushback

Veterans make up about 30% of the federal civilian 
workforce. (Gallup photo)

Faced with bipartisan pushback and anger from military veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is backtracking on its plan to shed more than 80,000 employees. Eric Katz of Government Executive reports, "VA previously told top-level staff it would utilize widespread reductions in force to cut its workforce back to the level it employed in fiscal 2019, leading to a reduction of more than 80,000 employees."

Early 2025 cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency and the VA have already taken a disproportionate toll on veterans' post-service employment, because they make up roughly 30% of the U.S. federal civilian workforce. "The VA has already shed 17,000 employees since January, and plans to cut another 12,000 through additional attrition and separation incentives," Katz explains. "While VA said it would not implement a 'large-scale' or 'department-wide' Reduction in Force, it did not rule out using more targeted layoffs."

Reducing VA staff is framed as a reorganization effort to improve the VA, rather than a way to cut jobs. VA Secretary Doug Collins told Katz, "Since March, we’ve been conducting a holistic review of the department centered on reducing bureaucracy and improving services to veterans. . . . A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn’t mean we’re done improving VA."

The VA has until Monday to "keep its plans under wraps, requiring all of those working on it to take the unusual step of signing a non-disclosure agreement," Katz reports. 

While Collins and some lawmakers said the reversal of mass layoffs was always a possibility, the American Federation of Government Employees council, which represents employees in VA’s central office, "suggested that the change was a direct result of outcry and pushback," Katz adds. "The group said the change in plans was not 'a coincidence, it was a response.' The union added significant damage has been done to the VA workforce."

E.V. charging stations help fuel mega gas station growth. Not every town wants one.

Sheetz location in Romulus, Mich. 
(Sheetz photo via WXTZ News in Detroit, Mich.)

Despite controversies over their impact, big gas station chains such as Buc-ees and Sheetz are adding locations in small communities and residential spaces across the U.S. The need for more E.V. charging stations, with their longer "fill" times, is part of the reason.

"As battery-powered cars become more common on roadways, more gas stations are installing chargers alongside old-fashioned pumps," reports Kevin Williams of The New York Times. "E.V. charging takes time, so gas station operators are turning their stores into shopping centers where people can spend time — and money — while they wait for cars to charge."

Area residents have a range of reactions when they hear their community is being considered as a mega gas station location. "The sheer size of the businesses has turned off some communities that don’t want the heavy traffic, bright lights and 24/7 activity," Williams explains. "When communities object to Sheetz’s moving in, the company isn’t fazed. . . . It knows there are communities that want its business."

Restaurants in small to mid-sized cities have pushed against mega gas stations because they offer extensive food menus and may even include a drive-thru. Williams reports, "Craig Dunaway, the chief operating officer of Penn Station East Coast Subs, said his restaurant chain was fending off gas station businesses like Sheetz."

The city of Farmington Hills, Mich., which has roughly 86,000 residents, "rejected Sheetz’s proposal this year to take over a space once occupied by Ginopolis, a restaurant that called Elizabeth Taylor and Bob and Delores Hope its customers, after several contentious meetings," Williams writes. But the smaller town of Romulus, Mich., welcomed the development.

Jeremy Taylor, a long-time Romulus resident, enjoys what Sheetz offers. He told Williams, "It’s been a long time since we’ve had something this good in Romulus. There’s nothing out here.”

Bringing back U.S. manufacturing jobs would take 'years, if not decades'

The U.S. produces domestic clothing on a smaller
scale. (Hybrid Storytellers photo, Unsplash)

Part of the driving force behind President Donald Trump's far-reaching tariffs is to push American businesses and consumers to make and purchase U.S.-manufactured goods. While American production and purchasing appeals to many Americans, the question remains: Is America up to the task?

"In many industries, the undertaking would take years, if not decades. The United States lacks nearly every part of the manufacturing ecosystem — the workers, the training, the technology and the government support," reports Alexandra Stevenson of The New York Times.

Trump's made in America push opens up a bigger trade discussion about where products are made vs. where they are sold. The logistical and financial effort required to re-shore all the moving parts, which are often produced across the globe, would present a challenge.

Sailex, a fabric and clothing manufacturer, is an example. The company has a jean-making facility in Los Angeles that produces roughly 70,000 pairs of pants per month. But that comes with a tradeoff. Stevenson explains, "The operation works only because Saitex runs a much bigger factory and fabric mill in southern Vietnam where thousands of workers churn out 500,000 pairs of jeans a month."

Sailex owner Sanjeev Bahl believes the U.S. "can make stuff again . . . . But his experience highlights how hard it would be," Stevenson reports. "There are no mills in America on the scale of what the industry needs, nor major zipper and button suppliers. The cost of running a factory is high. Then there is the labor problem: There just aren’t enough workers."

If the U.S. wants to revive its manufacturing powerhouse status, that goal "would have to include immigrants seeking that same opportunity in the United States," Stevenson explains. "At Saitex’s Los Angeles factory, most of the workers come from countries like Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador."

Even if the U.S. could find enough workers, the cost of labor is a barrier. Stevenson reports, "It is hard to make things in great volume in America. . . .For Bahl, it boils down to the cost of a sewing machine operator. In Los Angeles, that person gets paid around $4,000 a month. In Vietnam, it is $500."

If Americans are desperate for manufacturing jobs, why are so many factory jobs vacant?

Reshoring American manufacturing could take time
and big money. (Photo by Brice Cooper, Unsplash)

Despite the Trump administration's full press effort to revive American manufacturing, it's unclear if Americans want factory jobs. "American manufacturers say they are struggling to fill the jobs they already have," reports Greg Rosalsky of NPR's Planet Money. "According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs right now."

Although a tight labor market explains some of the labor shortage, it's also a product of economic and educational circumstances. Rosalsky explains, "Manufacturers can't fill these jobs overnight because they require workers to have particular skills. And it's not just skills needed to work on assembly lines. . . . Manufacturers also employ people to do research and development, engineering, design, finance. . ."

Politicians typically tout factory work because it can "provide good jobs and career ladders for people without a college education," Rosalsky writes. "However, many manufacturing jobs these days actually require college degrees. . . That said. . . half of the open manufacturing jobs don't require a bachelor's degree. And manufacturers say they are also struggling to fill those."

A fair question manufacturers may need to revisit: Do they pay enough? Higher wages might "convince workers to invest in acquiring coveted skills and enter the manufacturing workforce," Rosalsky adds. "But the higher pay that Americans demand to work in manufacturing is one of the big reasons that many manufacturers left America in the first place."

Oren Cass, the chief economist and founder of American Compass, a conservative think tank, "believes that tariffs can help even the playing field with foreign competitors," Rosalsky reports. "And he stresses that one of the keys to reshoring manufacturing — while maintaining well-paying manufacturing jobs — is higher productivity."

In late April, Trump "issued an executive order aimed at 'preparing Americans for high-paying skilled trade jobs of the future,'" Rosalsky writes. 

Skilled labor started recruiting from high school shop classes; high school graduates can make over $60,000

Skilled trades can offer training during high school
and a good-paying job upon graduation. (Adobe Stock photo)

Skilled labor training is helping some high schoolers land jobs with big pay before they even graduate. "Companies with shortages of skilled workers look to shop class to recruit future hires," reports Te-Ping Chen of The Wall Street Journal. "Elijah Rios won’t graduate from high school until next year, but he already has a job offer — one that pays $68,000 a year."

While the U.S. shortage of skilled labor has been building over time, baby boomer retirements have pushed trade-based companies that need a pipeline of trained professionals to "turn to creative recruiting strategies," Te-Ping explains. "More businesses are teaming up with high schools to enable students to work part-time, earning money as well as academic credit. More employers are showing up at high school career days." The renewed interest in hiring from the trades has helped revive high school shop programming.

Younger workers generally are more at ease with incorporating technology into their work, which is another reason trade recruiters are stepping up their "shop class" connections. According to the WSJ article, "Employers say that as the skilled trades become more tech-infused, they anticipate doing even more recruitment at an early age, because they need workers who are comfortable programming and running computer diagnostics."

One of the best things employers can do to "get a foot into high schools early on is by offering internships, says Roxanne Amiot, an automotive instructor at Bullard-Havens Technical School in Bridgeport, Conn.," Te-Ping writes. She told the Journal, “I tell them, don’t call me for students when they graduate, grab them now when they’re 16 or 17, or I have nobody to work for you.”

The recruitment opportunities and wages that trade professions offer signal a dramatic shift away from the "college-for-all mindset," according to the article. "[But] it’s important to make sure students are made aware of all their options, says Steve Klein, a researcher who focuses on vocational education. . . . At the same time, as interest in vocational education rises, he worries that sentiment runs the risk of swinging too much in the other direction."

Amazon aims to reach more customers with a $4 billion investment in rural services

Amazon expansion is expected to create over 100,000 jobs.
(Photo by Adobe Stock)

Amazon is investing $4 billion to expand their rural delivery services, according to the company's senior vice president of worldwide operations, Udit Madan.

The investment is meant to focus on small towns across the U.S. and bring faster delivery to “many millions of customers in less densely populated areas.” Madan wrote, “At a time where many logistics providers are backing away from serving rural customers because of cost to serve, we are stepping up our investment . . . .”

The online e-commerce website PYMNT reported that in 2024 Amazon had “leased, bought or announced plans for over 16 million square feet of new warehouse space in the U.S … adding to its existing footprint of about 413 million square feet of industrial real estate across the country.”

Madan said the expansion would mean more than 200 added delivery stations in rural areas.

Amazon said they want to support local businesses
while reaching customers in more rural areas.
(Photo by ANIRUDH, Unsplash)

“Local businesses like coffee shops and florists can deliver Amazon packages through the Hub Delivery program. Partners can make up to $27,000 in incremental income a year, and help deliver to our customers in smaller towns,” Madan wrote.

The rural investment will help the company reach new customers in 13,000 ZIP codes over a 1.2 million square mile area. The expansion will also create an estimated 100,000 or more new jobs in the company.

Rash of federal firings will hurt rural communities' economic health and development possibilities

Map by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data

The Trump administration's federal employee purge has plunged several sectors into chaos and disarray. Some firings include rural workers employed by public land agencies. "In a radical move to stave off perceived bureaucratic bloat, the administration has laid off thousands of federal employees," reports Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder. "Over a quarter million federal employees are stationed in rural counties across the country."

By cutting federal payrolls, the Trump administration hopes to fund part of its "proposed $4.5 trillion in tax cuts," Melotte explains. "The firings will hurt many rural communities that rely on the federal government for a large share of their economic base."

The loss of government jobs is particularly harmful to rural communities because federal positions generally pay better and will be more difficult for individuals to replace. Melotte reports, "In 2023, wages in rural private sector jobs were $50,600 per job, on average, compared to $79,300 per job in the federal government. . . . Federal jobs only make up 1.6% of the total rural workforce, but in many rural communities, they are one of the largest employers.

Explaining the domino effect federal firings could have on rural communities, Megan Lawson, from Headwaters Economics, told Melotte, "Especially in the West, where many federal layoffs are affecting public land agencies, these employees will not be able to manage our natural resources and serve the public. Our gateway communities whose economies depend on natural resources or recreation on federal land will feel the ripple effects when the resources and their visitors aren't being managed well. It's unclear how quickly these effects will be felt."

Nationwide, the tally of federal wages paid to rural employees is substantial. "Federal wages accounted for $21 billion in non-metropolitan, or rural, counties in 2023," Melotte adds. So far, the Trump administration fired more than 1,000 Department of Veteran Affairs employees and cut 3,400 Forest Service jobs.

The sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel has politicians up in arms, but some workers think sale might save their jobs

Wikipedia map

The fear of foreign control and the possible loss of jobs has many U.S. politicians and United Steelworkers’ leaders stoking opposition against the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese-based Nippon Steel, but many of the industry's workers see the sale differently.

"Outside Pittsburgh, in Monongahela River valley towns where steel is still made, some workers and officials say the rhetoric is disconnected from what is happening on the ground," report Kris Maher, Bob Tita and Aaron Zitner of The Wall Street Journal. "Some say fears of foreign ownership are overblown and that the deal with deep-pocketed Nippon Steel offers the best chance to keep steel industry jobs in the region, and communities from being erased."

The voices against the $14.1 billion sale are big names, including President Joe Biden, both presidential candidates and "all four senators from Pennsylvania and Ohio, including Sen. John Fetterman," the Journal reports. However, West Mifflin Mayor Chris Kelly told the Journal: "I would bet that none of the national politicians have seen what I’ve seen and have not talked to these local workers. . . . This is nothing but politics." West Mifflin's U.S. Steel mill employs about 800 workers.

Both sides have cranked up their lobbying machines. "Kelly and other local officials are asking Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to get the Biden administration to hear their concerns. . . . A spokesman said the governor said his priority is protecting Pennsylvania workers," the Journal reports "Nippon Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori recently met with U.S. regulators. Ads running in Pittsburgh urge they 'keep steel jobs in steel city.'"

In Braddock, the Edgar Thomson plant "is among the world’s oldest mills, producing steel from liquid iron heated in blast furnaces. Active since 1875, it hums day and night," Maher, Tita and Zitner write.
"Braddock Mayor Delia Lennon-Winstead backs the deal and said presidential candidates who oppose it should provide another solution. 'Do they actually walk these streets and live in this area?” she said. 'Do they know the devastation of closing the mill, what it would do to this area?'"

Federal firefighters have 'grueling' jobs for paltry pay; grassroots organizing works to change pay and benefits

Wildland firefighters are considered a 'national resource,'
but many are risking their lives for $15 an hour. (A.S. photo)

Federal firefighters can spend weeks away from home putting out devastating fires while barely making enough money to make ends meet. The mismatch between job demands and pay has caused some firefighters to leave the profession, but other firefighters have organized to change pay and benefits, reports Nathan Pipenberg of Capital and Main. Grassroots Wildland Firefighters "represents a striking example of a growing movement among workers to organize outside the structure of an existing union."

While some new unions start without a broader union's umbrella, GWF is using its members' support to work in tandem with the profession's existing union, the National Federation of Federal Employees, to give the profession a stronger voice. "Firefighters increasingly felt they needed to make themselves heard if they wanted to see change. So far, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters — working alongside NFFE — has proven that point." Max Alonzo, a former firefighter hired by NFFE who helps with legislative plans, told Pipenberg, "I don’t feel like we’d be as far as we are right now if they hadn’t brought national attention to these issues.”

The dual effort is gaining momentum. "When Congress began considering a pay supplement for federal firefighters, whose starting wage is the federal worker minimum of $15 an hour, both the union and Grassroots Wildland Firefighters organized front-line workers to meet with members of Congress and speak at committee hearings and a press conference on the steps of the Capitol," Pipenberg explains. "With pressure came promising results: temporary pay supplements, expiring this September, that currently translate to as much as $20,000 per year. Although it was not the permanent legislation they sought, firefighters saw their starting annual income nearly double, to $51,500."

Even with pay increases, a national discussion about the physical and health risks federal wildland workers endure remains elusive. "The job can be grueling and unusually demanding. Wildland workers are expected to serve as a 'national resource,' available to travel across the country with only a few hour's notice," Pipenberg reports. "Firefighters fell trees, dig fire breaks, and crawl on hands and knees to find hotspots that could ignite. They often sleep outdoors, near the fire and in the smoke."

September will mark the end of the temporary pay supplements, which means the GWF and NFFE continue to lobby. "The groups are pushing for the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, which would make the supplement permanent, and for Tim’s Act, which would raise wages, expand mental health service and offer health insurance to seasonal workers," Pipenberg writes. "Both bills have been introduced in Congress but have made little progress."

Rural towns face public-sector worker shortages that will only increase; some residents are doing the work of many

To fill service gaps, some older rural residents have
multiple jobs. (Adobe Stock photo)

Small towns across the United States are short on people, money and a younger workforce, which leaves many older rural residents doing the work of two or three people. When older residents retire, rural communities are hard-pressed to "find and afford" new workers for a range of public-sector positions, reports Jon Kamp of The Wall Street Journal. "The challenge. . . faces small governments scattered around the U.S., and often leaves those still there to pick up the slack."

The rural labor conundrum affects states as big as Texas and as small as Maine. "In Texas, roughly two-thirds of cities with 3,000 to 5,000 residents are missing a finance director. . . . Other city employees who might not have financial-management experience often end up filling in, said Bennett Sandlin, the Texas Municipal League's director," Kamp writes. "Cities [may then] go without audits, raising the chances of uncorrected bookkeeping errors, he said." In tiny Ashland, Maine, one 65-year-old resident "runs the town’s sports programs, drives Little Leaguers to away games, cleans the town office, takes seniors out for meals. . ."

Since rural populations tend to be older, the pressure to attract and keep younger residents will only increase as baby boomer employees age into retirement. "Local officials and government associations in many states say they face a persistent challenge to find qualified employees who want to work in a small town’s office," Kamp explains. "Small-town officials say they face particular hurdles when it comes to offering competitive salaries to compete for workers."

Rural labor shortages can mean loads of work for older residents still wanting to work, but it can also mean services close or consolidate. "Limestone, Maine, is a small town abutting Canada’s New Brunswick border, closed its ambulance service many years ago, contracting it out to the nearby city of Caribou for less money. Last year, the police department closed," Kamp reports. "Limestone's interim town manager, Alan Mulherin, said that without police regularly nearby, there is more speeding and drug activity." Maine state and county police now answer calls in Limestone.

Some colleges offer a 3-year bachelor's degrees to address student expenses and lower enrollment numbers

Colleges are piloting 3-year degree programs in
several states. (Adobe Stock photo)

Amid decreasing enrollment and increasing student costs, some colleges are offering three-year degrees as a solution. "The programs, which also are being tried at some private schools, would require 90 credits instead of the traditional 120 for a bachelor's degree and wouldn't require summer classes or studying over breaks. In some cases, the degrees would be designed to fit industry needs," reports Elaine S. Povich of Stateline. "Proponents of the three-year degree programs say they save students money and set them on a faster track to their working life. But detractors, including some faculty, say they shortchange students."

Utah is one state where the board of higher education approved the 3-year degree. "Various areas of study would be tied to specific industry needs, with fewer electives required," Povich explains. "These degrees are broader than two-year associate degrees but narrower than a full four-year bachelor's."

Geoff Landward, commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education, told Povich, "We told the institutions to start working on them now and developing the curriculum. We want them to find industry partners that would be willing to hire people with bachelor's degrees of this type. . . . If we are partnering with industry and they help us develop it, I don't think it cheapens the degree. I think it creates a very specific degree."

The new three-year degree programs requiring fewer credits would still need national accreditation.

Changing social views on the importance of a college degree are some of the reasons colleges are getting creative. "A Pew Research Center survey found only 1 in 4 American adults said it is extremely or very important to have a four-year college degree to get a good-paying job," Povich reports. "More than a dozen public and private universities are participating in a pilot collaboration called the College-in-3 Exchange to begin considering how they could offer three-year programs." 

Quick hits: Are media outlets ready for an 'extinction-level event'? A new National Park; the best rural water

Photo by Yosh Ginsu, Unsplash

Are media outlets ready to rethink and reinvent themselves to survive? That's a big question with so many possible answers. In her commentary for The New Yorker, Clare Malone recounts the rise and fall of U.S. news outlets and asks, "Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event?" Malone writes, "Even as outlets have tried to complement news coverage with other offerings, they've faced a fresh dilemma: news subscriptions —the great hope of media — are now directly competing with entertainment ones."

Wikipedia map

America's National Parks are a source of national unity alongside land and historic preservation. The Amache National Historic Site officially opened as the newest national park this year. Amache is in southeastern Colorado, one mile outside of Granada. "It was one of 10 incarceration sites used to detain thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II," reports Lauren Penington of The Denver Post. The park is meant to remind us of past injustices and provide a place of reflection and healing for our country's past mistakes.

With all the twists and turns life can throw at us, sometimes words of wisdom can give us peace and reassurance that this, too, shall pass. Progressive Farmer's "Faith" section reaches out this week with quotes to ponder and embrace, such as this one from Martin Luther King Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Kobu photo, Unsplash

Water, water everywhere, and the best sips are in Columbus, Wisconsin. "Many people know Wisconsin for its milk or beer, but did you know that the state is also home to some of America's best-tasting water? Earlier this year, Columbus Utilities in Columbus, a small city northeast of Madison, won the gold medal at the National Rural Water Association's 25th Annual Great American Water Taste Test," reports Claire Reid of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The taste test and awards ceremony took place at the NRWA's annual Rural Water Rally in Washington, D.C."

As younger Americans weigh the costs versus benefits of a college degree, some opt to work for companies that offer great-paying jobs that don't need a degree. "Walmart is giving bigger bonuses and adding stock awards to their annual pay packages, pushing the total compensation for the best ones to more than $400,000 a year," reports Sarah Nassauer of The Wall Street Journal. "The retail giant has thousands of store managers who act as midlevel executives. Each can often oversee a store with 350 workers and $100 million in annual revenue. Many start as clerks and climb the ranks without college degrees."

Case backlogs are a major source of criminal trial delays.
(Tingey Law Firm photo, Unsplash)

The case backlog in U.S. courts increased during the pandemic years, but the shortage of attorneys and judges pre-dates Covid-19. "The pandemic worsened problems that already had caused state and local court delays, legal experts say. The hurdles include insufficient funding, judicial vacancies, lawyer shortages and delays processing digital and physical evidence," reports Amanda Hernández of Stateline. In rural Vermont, "There were over 35,500 pending cases statewide, according to data from the Vermont Judiciary. About 42%, or 15,294 of those pending cases, are criminal cases. That's double the amount of pending criminal cases pre-pandemic."

The pay gap between rural and urban workers is getting worse, according to new financial data

City workers make about 23% more than rural workers.
(Campaign creators photo, Unsplash)

Workers in urban areas traditionally have made more money than rural workers, but the pay gap is getting worse, reports Elizabeth Trovall for Marketplace.

“In cities, people earn about 23% more than people in rural areas, according to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,” Trovall reports. “That difference was more like 20% before the pandemic.”

The pay gap hasn’t always been so pronounced. According to Trovall’s report, “Rural areas were catching up to city wages, mostly because of new technology coming to smaller communities. ‘Then, around 1980, this all changed,'’’ said Conor Walsh of the Columbia Business School.

The loss of manufacturing jobs hurt rural incomes.

(Pitti.edu photo, Unsplash)

“That’s when the lucrative business services sector took off in places like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco,” Trovall reports. “’In particular, finance, tech and professional services,’ Walsh said. . . . “At the same time, manufacturing jobs started leaving rural America, which helped to widen the gap.”

In addition, there's the long-standing difficulty of getting college-educated students from rural areas to return home after graduation instead of taking higher-paying jobs in larger cities.

The Covid-19 pandemic and high inflation have made the problems with income gaps worse in recent years.

"'Inflation impacted people living in rural areas more because they spent considerably more on goods with higher price increases,'" economist Selcuk Eren of The Conference Board told Trovall. "'What goods am I talking about? I'm talking about vehicle purchases, and I'm talking about gasoline."