Employment in Rural and Small Town Canada: An Update to 2000 - ARCHIVED

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) represent both a "problem" and an "opportunity" for rural Canadians. On the one hand, rural employment levels are diminished as more services are supplied to rural Canadians by ICTs - the ubiquitous ATMs (automatic teller machines) are one example. On the other hand, ICTs, and particularly the Internet, provide easier access for rural Canadians to target urban markets and provide urban consumers with easier access to rural goods and services of human capital. In addition, characteristics of migrating youth are discussed as youth can be seen as an indicator of the state of rural areas and are a key factor in rural development. The understanding of the patterns of migration may give rise to solutions for the retention of human capital in rural and small town areas and the promotion of rural development.