Rural (nonmetro) industry employment earnings underwent major
changes between 2001 and 2010.
- Farming, forestry, and fishing inflation-adjusted earnings were
together nearly 14 percent higher in 2010 than in 2001.
However, this disguises estimated declines of about 30 percent in
both forestry and fishing, hidden by a 22 percent gain in farm
earnings.
- Mining, which had been shedding jobs and earnings in recent
decades, experienced a substantial increase in earnings, due
largely to growth of natural gas extraction from unconventional
sources, particularly from shale.
- Value-added manufacturing earnings declined as drops in wood
products (29 percent), furniture (28 percent), and paper (17
percent) earnings were partially balanced by earnings growth in
food processing (4 percent) and petroleum and coal products (30
percent).
- Rural earnings in other manufacturing were hurt by the severe
recession starting in late 2007, but global competition and
technological change also played roles in rural manufacturing's
long-term decline.
- Earnings grew substantially in health and educational services
and government over this period. Together these two sectors were
responsible for 35 percent of all rural earnings in 2010.
| Employment earnings by industry sector,
2010, and inflation-adjusted change over time |
| |
Distribution, 2010 |
Change 2001-2010 |
| Industry sector |
Metro |
Nonmetro |
Metro |
Nonmetro |
| |
Percent |
Percent change |
| Farming, forestry & fishing1 |
0.6 |
5.4 |
5.5 |
13.5 |
| Mining |
0.7 |
2.7 |
11.8 |
42.4 |
| Construction |
5.3 |
5.8 |
-13.8 |
-7.9 |
| Value-added manufacturing2 |
1.8 |
4.9 |
-11.7 |
-11.1 |
| Other manufacturing |
7.6 |
9.4 |
-20.5 |
-20.6 |
| Transportation, wholesale, & warehousing |
9.2 |
8.6 |
2.0 |
12.7 |
| Producer & information services3 |
28.6 |
11.1 |
10.2 |
19.6 |
| Real estate, rental & leasing |
1.7 |
1.3 |
-25.9 |
-6.2 |
| Retail & personal services |
9.6 |
12.0 |
1.1 |
3.4 |
| Private health & education services |
12.9 |
11.5 |
39.0 |
31.8 |
| Recreation4 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
14.1 |
12.6 |
| Government5 |
17.7 |
23.3 |
27.9 |
22.5 |
| Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
8.0 |
9.3 |
1/ Includes related services.
2/ Includes food, beverage and leather manufacturing; wood
products, furniture and paper manufacturing; and petroleum and coal
products manufacturing.
3/ Includes informational, financial, insurance, professional,
scientific, management and administrative services.
4/ Includes entertainment and recreation, accommodations and
eating places.
5/ Includes all public services, including public schools, public
hospitals as well as local, state and Federal government
activities.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, REIS data files. |