When selling books in southeastern Ohio as a student trying to pay for college expenses, I noticed the stark disparity between opportunities available to rural or urban populations. So many of the residents of the rural countryside were stuck between a rock and a hard place. The jobs were leaving, but they could not find a buyer for their home even if they left to pursue a job.
A few manufacturing companies were still located in some of the smaller towns of southeast Ohio, but I saw evidence of many more operations that had since ceased. The decline of industry and manufacturing facilities that had once provided jobs for much of the workforce was noticable.
What was notable was more than just those empty buildings. There was also a lack of the many supportive companies that you normally see. Small businesses in the area were struggling, and they were catering to the needs of families rather than to companies that normally pay a higher rate.
I asked myself, “why don’t these folks leave in search of better jobs?” I soon discovered why. Some families did leave, but they had difficulty selling their homes. There simply was not an influx of new residents looking to buy a home.
Families were struggling to make ends meet, but they couldn’t afford to leave in search of better opportunities. Many families that I encountered expressed this frustration. They simply did not know how they were going to improve their situation.
Many years have passed since my days of selling books to Ohio families. However, when I visit, I still see many of the same patterns.
Some towns like Heath, OH saw benefits of industry from neighboring towns like Newark. Other more rural towns had a different perspective.
In McConnelsville, you could count the main employers on one hand. In fact, all of Morgan County was economically depressed. There was no big industry to speak of; just a couple of small manufacturing operations. Yet despite the despair, many residents felt stuck.
Until state leaders provide a greater focus for economic improvement in rural Ohio, the people that live in some of Ohio’s more rural counties will continue to suffer. They need more jobs, and more support for job growth. Maybe then will these folks have more opportunities.
Tags: rural ohio