Rural Women in a Restructuring Economy: Work and Commuting in Eastern Iowa

Rural women's labor-force participation rates have increased rapidly over the past decade and a half, simultaneous with economic restructuring in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. This article examines women's labor-force participation and returns to employment within four nonmetropolitan counties in eastern Iowa, contiguous with three metropolitan areas. The job structures and job rewards of women employed in four industry groups in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan job locations are compared in the context of the constraints posed by commuting costs. Also examined are findings about the nature and extent of nonmetropolitan women's labor-force participation in the context of the employment restructuring trends in the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan portions of the study area.