A new report from the Department of Agriculture shows rural parts of the country are still struggling more than eight years after the Great Recession.
While the economy has improved marginally in rural areas since the recession, cities continue to do better. The rural employment rate still hasn’t returned to its pre-2008 level, and economic growth has been slow: An average rural worker made significantly less last year than an urban one.
In the last few years, rural areas have also seen their populations decline, while urban areas have, on average, seen their populations boom.
USDA chief Tom Vilsack said the rural unemployment rate is improving, and said in a statement that the new data show rural America is poised for a "remarkable comeback."
