Search Results
Showing results 1 to 7 of approximately 7.
(refine search)
Journal Article
Upfront: New from the Richmond Fed's Regional Matters Blog
Discussion Paper
The Role of Manufacturing in the Rural Fifth District
A manufacturing job became the pathway to a middle-class lifestyle for many American families in the decades immediately following World War II. Although the industry has suffered large employment losses since the 1970s, it remains a critical source of employment in rural America.This article explores historical trends in manufacturing employment in the United States and the Fifth District. Since the 1990s, despite a sharper decline in manufacturing employment in the district than in the United States, manufacturing in rural North Carolina, rural South Carolina, and rural Virginia composes a ...
Report
Resilience and Recovery: Insights from the July 2022 Eastern Kentucky Flood
Because of its topography, location, and coal mining legacy, eastern Kentucky has a long history of flooding. This report focuses on housing in the 13 counties declared federal disaster areas after the July 2022 flood.
Journal Article
Growing Rural America Through Startups
Rural places, by many measures, have tended to be less vibrant economically than metro areas, on average. Some small towns looking to create more job opportunities have tried to attract large businesses, while others have leaned on their natural amenities to draw residents and tourists. But another, less obvious, approach is in the running: entrepreneurship. New businesses contribute disproportionately to job and productivity growth, providing numerous benefits to a local community.
Journal Article
A Unique Moment for Small Towns
Every month, I visit small towns and hear from business and community leaders about what’s working, what’s not working, and what they need. In my previous column, I looked at the key elements I’ve seen in every small town that has made major progress toward revitalization: a story, regional cooperation, and dedicated funding, all tied together by “scrappiness.” (See “Making It Work,” Econ Focus, First Quarter 2022.) Now, I’d like to take a deeper dive into the issue of funding, because money is the one critical constraint every community faces, across every issue.
Discussion Paper
Spotlight on Rural Best Practices: Lessons From the 2023 IRA Poster Session
Throughout our region, small towns and rural communities are continually working to improve outcomes for their residents. And we can learn a lot from how different communities, and the organizations within them, are gaining positive traction. What are their ingredients for success?While the mix of ingredients differs from one community to the next, a top five list has emerged from the Richmond Fed's engagement with rural communities over the past several years: 1) regional collaboration; 2) strong local leadership; 3) telling a compelling story; 4) playing to strengths; and 5) taking a ...
Discussion Paper
Who Is Supplying the Labor for Recent Employment Growth in the Rural Fifth District?
Although many rural counties in the Fifth District have experienced population growth since 2020, total population has shrunk in rural areas. Rural regions in the United States have long experienced demographic squeezes as older people tend to stay in place and younger people migrate to metropolitan areas. But has the rural labor supply fared better since the COVID-19 pandemic? This post explores how changes in total population, out-of-the-labor-force population, and unemployment explain employment growth across the Fifth District's rural counties. In aggregate, rural counties have ...