Full Citation

Title: A Middle Model of Economic Development? Revisiting the Economic Geography of Middle-Wage Occupations in the United States

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2023

ISBN:

ISSN: 15523543

DOI: 10.1177/08912424231164387/SUPPL_FILE/SJ-DOCX-1-EDQ-10.1177_08912424231164387.DOCX

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Abstract: High-wage regions have frequently been models for economic development policy. However, these places have also been more likely to experience a “hollowing out” of the middle of the labor market, whereby college-educated residents experience high-wage growth, while residents without a college degree do not. This paper studies regions where—in contrast to hollowing out—the share of middle-wage jobs has grown since 1980. Its aim is to understand how—if at all—the characteristics of these regions could suggest a model of economic development that prioritizes opportunities for noncollege graduates. The authors find that regions with a growing share of middle-wage jobs have been associated with higher levels of upward mobility and wage growth for workers without a college degree. These places, such as Wausau, Wisconsin, and Manhattan, Kansas, are associated with higher local school performance and have experienced comparatively high growth in production jobs.

Url: https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/doi/full/10.1177/08912424231164387

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Authors: Armstrong, Ben; Reynolds, Elisabeth B.

Periodical (Full): Economic Development Quarterly

Issue:

Volume:

Pages: 1-14

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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