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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Employment and unemployment

Workforce Development and Driver Shortages in Small Urban and Rural Transit
Examines the workforce development, succession plans, and turnover mitigation practices of transit agency managers. Analyzes survey data focused on driver shortfall issues and strategies to recruit and retain new drivers in small urban and rural transit. Includes data on employment and driver characteristics as well as rural versus urban comparisons of workforce shortages.
Author(s): Del Peterson, Antonio Molina
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Unemployment Rates Have Recovered to Pre-pandemic Levels but Remain Higher in Persistently Poor Rural and Urban Counties
Line chart showing unemployment rates from July 2019 through December 2022 for rural persistent poverty counties, urban persistent poverty counties, other rural counties, and other urban counties.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural-Urban Differences in Workers' Access to Paid Sick Leave
Compares paid sick leave access among rural and urban workers using 2014-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. Includes data on demographic characteristics associated with limited access to paid sick leave in rural and urban settings, including race and ethnicity, type of employment, and more.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Carly M. Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne C.M. Jonk
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 31(1), 335-344
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities Toolkit Guide
Provides an overview of federal laws, initiatives, agencies, and organizations that support work with American Indian and Alaska Native communities and individuals with disabilities. Includes dedicated sections with links to organizations and resources on healthy living, education, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and employment resources, assistive technology, housing and facilities, and transportation.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Council on Aging, National Council on Disability
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Race and Ethnicity of Rural Labor Force Vary by Industry
Bar chart showing employment share by race/ethnicity in the 6 largest rural industries in 2019: agriculture, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, accommodation/food services, and government. Includes data for Black, American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic workers.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Job Growth Has Shifted Toward High-skill Workers Since 2001
Line chart showing nonmetro employment in the highest growth industries from 2001 through 2020. Includes job growth information for healthcare and social assistance.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Arkansas 2023 Young Adult State of Wellbeing Report
Report on young adults between 18 and 29 in Arkansas covering general demographics, substance use, employment, education, mortality, crime, and more. Highlights rural areas in Arkansas and includes county level reports.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup
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2023 Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup: Annual Profile of Substance Abuse
Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Access to Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and Education in Rural Areas
Provides an overview of the challenges experienced in rural communities such as connectivity issues; access to goods, social services, and healthcare; and a lack of educational and economic opportunities. Includes implementation strategies for rural communities to evaluate, plan for, and improve accessibility, along with related case studies.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
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Community Sociodemographics and Rural Hospital Survival
Explores differences in specific community-level sociodemographic factors associated with the survival or closure of rural hospitals at risk of financial distress between 2010 and 2019. Examines the relationship between the risk of hospital closure and median family income, unemployment rate, uninsured rate, education, race, and more.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 2023(39), 643-655
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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