Abstract
Employment in rural areas has historically been concentrated in extractive or resource industries, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, and fishing. Most developing countries remain dependent on extractive industries, but the vast majority of rural workers earn wages in manufacturing and service industries in developed countries today. Although there are concerns with the low productivity of the rural nonfarm sector, the experience in many developing countries is that promoting the nonfarm sector reduces income inequality and promotes growth in the rural areas. In developed countries, wages in rural areas generally lag behind those in urban areas, and the gap has increased over the past few decades. Rural labor markets face some distinct challenges in these settings. Rural workers generally have less education and employers provide less job training. Thin labor markets and low population density in rural areas make it especially difficult to build human capital. The green economy may offer unique opportunities for rural communities. Most renewable natural resources are located in rural areas and there are economic benefits to locating firms near these resources. Most green collar jobs will be associated with renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and environmental management.
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This research was supported by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, Hatch Project #WIS01510.
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Green, G.P. (2012). Rural Jobs: Making a Living in the Countryside. In: Kulcsár, L., Curtis, K. (eds) International Handbook of Rural Demography. International Handbooks of Population, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1842-5_21
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