摘要：Historically, economic development of the rural South has relied upon a steady demand by firms for the substantial pool of low-skill labor found in the region. For many years, the diffusion of firms seeking cheaper labor and land. as well as lower taxes. fueled an economic expansion. In Inany respects, this economic growth was able to provide many rural Southern workers with an acceptable standard of living. However, over the past decade. the growing decline in the demand for low-skilled workers has left the rural South with a major development dilemma. Traditional sources of employment for lessskilled rural labor force members are declining as a product of teclinological change and globalization. While highly-skilled jobs are being created, they are not occurring with the same frequency in rural areas as they are in urban places. Furthermore, a higher proportion of rural southerners lacks the necessary formal educational credentials to qualify for these jobs. This has created a dual dilemma for the rural South in the form of a growing mismatch between the existing skills of workers and the new skill de~nandso f employers
