Self-Employment in Rural America
Self-employment as a major economic force is a new reality throughout rural America. According to a new article in Rural Realities, a publication of the Rural Sociology Society, self-employment in rural America has grown by more than 240 percent since 1969. Meanwhile, growth in rural wage paying jobs grew by only 61% over the same time frame. At present, approximately 5.3 million rural residents are self-employed. If present trends continue, the self-employed will account for 1/3 of the rural workforce in 2015. The report�s author, Stephen J. Goetz, expresses many concerns about these trends as earnings for the self-employed have hit historic lows. In 2005, the average self-employed rural worker earned about half ($16,851) of his or her employed counterparts ($31,596). Goetz recommends a number of potential remedies for these challenges. First, policy makers must get a better understanding of the challenges and issues facing the rural self-employed. They should also provide strengthened technical assistance and easier access to support programs at local colleges, universities, and elsewhere. In addition, rural leaders should invest to help develop a stronger base of local services for this workforce. These services might include child care providers, legal and accounting services, and temporary help agencies.
Access the article, �Self-Employment in Rural America: The New Reality,� by Stephen J. Goetz, appears in Rural Realities, Vol. 2, No. 3 (2008).
