Overview
The creative class thesis--that towns need to attract engineers,
architects, artists, and people in other creative occupations to
compete in today's economy--may be particularly relevant to rural
communities, which tend to lose much of their talent when young
adults leave. The ERS creative class codes indicate a county's
share of population employed in occupations that require "thinking
creatively." Variables used to construct the ERS creative class
measure include number and percent employed in creative class
occupations and a metro/nonmetro indicator for all counties, 1990
and 2000. A break-out of employment in the arts is included.