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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Employment and unemployment

Availability of Medical Doctors Favors Metropolitan Areas with Low Rates of Self-Employment
Line chart tracking the number of Medical Doctors (MDs) per 10,000 residents between 1960 and 2017, comparing metro and nonmetro areas of high self-employment and low self-employment. Uses data from the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce, 2018-19 Area Health Resources File and American Community Survey 2018 5-year data.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Self-Employed Workers Are Less Likely To Have Health Insurance Than Those Employed by Private Firms, Governments
Examines nonmetropolitan health insurance coverage in 2018 among working age adults (26-64 years old) who are self-employed, otherwise employed, unemployed, and those not in the labor force. Includes a bar chart showing metro compared to nonmetro coverage by employment status for the following types of health insurance: none, employer-based, direct-purchase, and public.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Dobis, Jessica E. Todd
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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The Economic Effects of Rural Hospital Closures
Examines the impact of a rural hospital closure on local economic outcomes. Compares economic changes in nonmetro counties experiencing a hospital closure between 2001 and 2018 to changes in a control group of nonmetro counties. Presents data on the effects of rural hospital closures on annual income, population size, unemployment, and labor force size overall and by closure type and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Prospective Payment System (PPS) status.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, Arrianna Marie Planey, Laura B. Bozovich, Kristie W. Thompson, George M. Holmes
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(3), 614-623
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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Farmer's Mental Well-Being Project: Statewide Survey Report
Surveyed 1651 farmers, farm spouses, and farmworkers in 2022 to identify stressors as perceived by farmers in Georgia. Discusses suicide, age, stress, insurance status, job satisfaction, agribusiness, COVID-19, healthcare access, coping mechanisms, and more.
Author(s): Stephanie Basey, Anne Montgomery, Ben West, Chris Scoggins, Lily Baucom
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, Mercer University School of Medicine
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Rural Illinois in Numbers: Content-Valid Indicators for Governance
Reports on quality of life (QOL) measures in Illinois such as economic conditions, access to healthcare, educational attainment, crime rates, and more. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparisons using data spanning from 2000 to 2020.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Rural–Urban Disparities in Health Access Factors Over Time: Implications for Cancer Prevention and Health Equity in the Midwest
Examines environmental and socioeconomic factors in rural and urban counties to understand differences in cancer burden and healthcare access. Analyzes 123 counties in Kansas and Missouri from 2009 to 2017 for health equity factors such as primary care provider availability, lack of insurance, unemployment, and childhood poverty. Includes rural versus urban cancer mortality rates in Kansas from 2008-2017.
Author(s): Jordan Baker, Hope Krebill, Hanluen Kuo, et al.
Citation: Health Equity, 6(1), 382-389.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Health Care Access Among Self-Employed Workers in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Report examining access to healthcare for self-employed workers, their families, and their households in rural areas, focusing on availability and affordability. Covers health insurance coverage and affordability, availability of healthcare services, and changes in work, income, health status, and healthcare access in 2020.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Dobis, Jessica E. Todd
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Food Insecurity in Southwest Virginia
Policy brief exploring the intersectionality between food insecurity and socioeconomic status as well as COVID-19 impacts in Southwest Virginia (SWVA), a primarily-rural area with the highest food insecurity and lowest socioeconomic status in Virginia. Highlights the seriousness and complexity of food insecurity in SWVA and the need for future research. Features statistics comparing food insecurity rates and median household income in Grayson County and Loudoun County, and the relationship between labor force and unemployment rate between 2016-2022.
Author(s): Sety Abooali
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Job Losses Hit Rural Areas Still Recovering From Great Recession
Reports on unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2021 by race and rural versus urban designation.
Author(s): Austin Sanders
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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How Internal Wealth Influences Communities' Prospects Post-Covid
Examines county-level asset income of 15 community types in the U.S. as defined by the American Communities Project. Discusses issues such as unemployment, income inequality, child poverty, housing, and residential segregation in relation to COVID-19 impacts. Includes a tool to search asset income by county.
Author(s): Dante Chinni, Ari Pinkus
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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