Source: CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS, 4/10/18



In the current debate about jobs and the working class, the conversation about rural America and rural employment often assumes that the only people who exist in—or matter to—rural America are white working men. This assumption, though, is simply wrong. In fact, women and people of color are a central part of rural America. Ignoring the diversity of rural America comes at a high cost, especially for women of color. While all rural workers earn lower wages than their nonrural counterparts, new analysis by the Center for American Progress reveals that women of color are among the lowest paid workers in rural areas with rural black and Hispanic women who work full time, year-round making just 56 cents for every dollar that rural white, non-Hispanic men make. Native American and Asian American and Pacific Islander women earn slightly more, making 69 cents and 75 cents, respectively, though these figures can mask wide variation within these communities. (see Methodology below) These numbers make clear that, regardless of where they live, all women of color are facing substantial economic challenges and that addressing the needs of rural workers requires more than focusing solely on one segment of that workforce. Rather, any policy interventions to improve employment and economic outcomes for rural workers must recognize and be responsive to the demographic differences within the rural workforce and the diverse challenges facing rural workers.

While popular media narratives often disregard this reality, a little more than one-fifth of people living in rural America are people of color, with a disproportionately high percentage of Native Americans living in rural areas relative to their share of the overall population. In fact, more than one-fifth of Native Americans live in rural communities, which is more than double the share of the white, non-Hispanic population living in these areas. This diversity is also reflected in the rural workforce. Among full-time, year-round workers in rural areas, white, non-Hispanic men comprise just less than one-half of the workforce, or 48 percent; women and people of color comprise the remaining majority. Women—including white women and women of color—make up 42 percent of rural workers, and workers of color collectively make up 17 percent of the rural workforce.

For the full report, click here.