Going nowhere? Rural youth labour market opportunities and obstacles

This paper compares rural and urban youth employment prospects, based on semi-structured interviews with 41 young people in England, and British Household Panel Survey data (2007/8). Rural location brings distinct labour market disadvantages for young people. Personal networks are pivotal for securing employment and lacking such contacts is a problem in rural areas. Unadvertised job vacancies and the relative absence of big business are also obstacles for rural youth, as is inability to relocate. Although opportunities are scarcer in rural areas, some individuals aspire to work in uniquely rural occupations even if the work is low-skilled and without promotion prospects.