Out of Sight, Out of Data

How Lack of Good Data on Rural Workforces Stymies Planning

Rural communities are not “data-poor” because nothing is happening—they’re data-poor because current systems were not built to capture how rural economies actually work. When rural work, learning, and mobility are invisible in data, communities are locked out of investment, planning, and opportunity. 

This paper outlines practical ways to modernize workforce and education data so rural communities are better represented and better served. Solutions include designing data systems in partnership with rural communities, expanding who and what counts in existing datasets, improving the timeliness of local data, and piloting next-generation tools that capture nonlinear work and learning pathways. Together, these approaches can help rural leaders make more informed decisions, target resources more effectively, and surface the full range of talent in their regions.