Rural Counties Have Lost More Jobs Than Urban Counties

An article in the rural America newspaper the Daily Yonder says that four years after the beginning of the recession, job losses in rural counties are higher than those in urban or exurban counties. (Exurban counties are those beyond the suburbs of a city. They are in metropolitan regions, but about half of the people who live there are in rural settings.)

Rural counties had nearly 850,000 fewer jobs this December than in December of 2007. That’s 3.7% fewer jobs in rural America four years after the recession began.

Urban counties had lost 3.3% of their jobs four years after the recession. Exurban counties lost 2.9% of their jobs.

The county with the largest job loss was Yavapai County in Arizona. That exurban county lost around 8,800 jobs.

Deadline Extended for CSP Applications

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has extended the deadline for producer applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program. The deadline is now January 27.

The Conservation Stewardship Program is a voluntary incentives program that rewards farmers, ranchers and forestry producers for conservation efforts that provide environmental benefits beyond their farm or ranch. The program pays producers for clean water, better soil management, improved habitat, energy efficiency and other natural resource benefits.

For information call the Center for Rural Affairs Farm Bill Helpline at 402-687-2100.

Social Security Payments Make Up 12% of All Gila County Income

A study by the Center for Rural Strategies shows that 12% of all Gila County income comes from Social Security. In 2009, this was a total of more than $201 million.

Gila County depends more on Social Security than the rest of the country. In 2009, 5.5% of total personal income in the US came from Social Security payments. The Arizona percentage was 6.1%.

More than 15,000 people in Gila County receive some form of Social Security payment That’s 29% of the county population.

Economists say Social Security payments are especially important to rural counties and small cities because most of the money is spent in the local community.

The US Congress is currently looking for ways to balance the federal budget and changes to Social security are being discussed. If benefits are cut—or if the eligibility age is increased—rural counties and small cities would be hurt the most.

Study Shows Connection Between Rural Voting and Candidate Success

A study by the Center for Rural Strategies shows that rural Arizonans could have a bigger impact on the 2012 elections than most people might think.

Public News Service reports that the group has tracked how people in rural areas have voted in recent elections. They found a connection between how a candidate does with these voters and his or her unltimate success in getting into office.

The group says that their poll of rural voters in battleground states shows that when Republican candidates run up big margins among these voters, they win national elections. But when Democrats reduce the Republican lead in rural areas, Democrats tend to win elections.

These trends held true in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, as well as the 2006 midterm elections.

The study is online at ruralstrategies.org.

New White House Council Will Focus on Rural Areas

President Obama has established a White House Rural Council to examine issues outside America’s big cities. While the majority of Arizonans live in metropolitan areas, there are a half million people living in rural Arizona.

Public News Service says the council will look for ways to maximize the impact of federal investments, and promote both economic prosperity and quality of life for rural residents.

The new White House Rural Council will be made up of two dozen cabinet leasders, including some from the departments of Labor, Commerce and Transportation.

The executive order is online at whitehouse.gov.

Rural AZ Needs More Broadband Access

A new report by the Federal Communications Commission says that people in rural Arizona lack access to high speed internet at a rate 50% higher than the national average. The report says that the lack of access will lead to loss of job opportunities.

The FCC’s annual broadband study shows that about 760,000 Arizonans don’t have high speed access. One in eight Arizonans lives in an area without broadband availability.

Public News Service reports that the agency is looking to more public and private partnerships to increase access, much like what was done with telephone service.

The FCC's Broadband Progress Report is online at fcc.gov.