Survey: Jobs is top concern in rural Minn.
Published 9:37 am Friday, October 22, 2010
By Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio News
BEMIDJI — A new statewide survey released today by the Blandin Foundation shows the demand for jobs is the main concern for people in rural Minnesota.
Blandin’s Rural Pulse survey polled more than a thousand people living outside the metro area in cities smaller than 35,000. The survey reveals a mix of worry over the economy and confidence in the future.
About half of those surveyed listed the need for living wage jobs as their number one priority. Sixty-five percent said they believe there aren’t enough job opportunities in their rural communities, where some people feel stuck.