Washington Business 2018 AWB Rural Jobs Outlook | Page 4

Overview and Key Findings
Historically, Washington’s rural areas have lagged behind urban areas
in key economic measures like unemployment, job growth, median
wages, and home prices.
Since the start of the Great Recession,
the urban-rural divide has grown more
acute, not only in Washington state but
throughout the country. In response,
AWB hosted two summits in 2017
aimed at identifying ways to increase
economic growth in rural Washington.
The meetings brought together a diverse
group of employers, state legislators,
agency officials and leaders from local
governments, ports, chambers of
commerce and economic development
organizations. Participants spoke about
the need to expand economic prosperity
in rural areas, which is a core mission
of AWB. The policy issues raised during
these meetings are diverse and represent
For purposes of this report, a
rural county is defined as a county
with a population density of less
than 100 people per square mile,
or a county smaller than 225
square miles (defined under RCW
82.14.370). By this definition,
there are 31 rural counties
and eight urban counties in
Washington state.
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a wide range of perspectives. They
include everything from sustainable
agriculture, infrastructure development,
rural broadband and the availability of
water to regulatory reform, workforce
development, and environmental
stewardship. Addressing them will
require collaboration with employers,
rural communities, and stakeholders. This
report presents the findings of AWB’s
2017 Rural Jobs Summits and a suggested
path forward for supporting the vitally
important rural economy in the state.