Job Growth = Stronger in Urban Areas Where 86% of Americans Live Job / Population Growth – Urban vs. Rural (Indexed to 2001) 120 Jobs = +19% Population = +15% 110 Jobs = +4% Population = +4% 100 90 2001 2006 2011 2016 Urban Rural Source: USDA ERS, BLS. Note: LAUS county-level data from BLS are aggregated into urban (metropolitan/metro) and rural (nonmetropolitan / non-metro), based on the Office of Management and Budget's 2013 metropolitan classification. Metro areas 158 defined as counties with urban areas >50K in population and the outlying counties where >35% of population commutes to an urban center for work. ’Rural’ data reflects total non-metro employment, where population has been declining since 2011.