Considerable controversy exists regarding the costs and benefits of growth in the meatpacking and processing industry in the rural Midwest. This study uses proprietary datafrom the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Longitudinal Database (LDB) to investigate theeffects of this industry on social and...

For the first 13 years after entry, the hazard rate for firm exits is persistently higher forurban than rural firms. While differences in observed industry market, local marketand firm attributes explain some of the rural-urban gap in firm survival, rural firmsretain a survival advantage 25%...

Using U.S. Census data from 1950 to 2000, this paper provides a framework to compare theresponses of immigrant and native population growth to the economic incentives offered by ruralcounties in the Midwest and the South. We find that in marked contrast to traditional destinationsfor new...