The future of work in America

just an FYI some good data from McKinsey highlights the continued "Balkanization" of the US productivity on geographic lines

".... Our analysis of 315 cities and more than 3,000 counties shows that the United States is a mosaic of local economies with widening gaps between them. Twenty five megacities and high-growth hubs, where 96 million people live, have generated most of the nation’s job growth since the Great Recession. These are the nation’s most dynamic places, with high-growth industries, many high-wage jobs, and young, educated workers but notable inequality. By contrast, 54 trailing cities and roughly 2,000 rural counties, collectively home to 78 million people, have older and shrinking workforces, higher unemployment,and lower educational attainment. Between these extremes are thriving niche cities and a larger “mixed middle” with modest economic growth; 94 million people live in these segments..... The same 25 cities and peripheries that led the post-recession recovery could capture 60 percent of US job growth through2030. The mixed middle and trailing cities are positioned for modest job gains, but rural counties could see a decade of flat or even negative net job growth. These shifts are occurring when geographic mobility is at historic lows....Population growth has also tilted toward urban America. High-growth hubs, small powerhouses, and silver cities have grown by more than 10 percent since 2007, and most urban peripheries are also growing. Residents have been moving out of megacities, stable cities, America’s makers, and trailing cities, but immigration has more than offset the losses in megacities and stable cities. By contrast, populations in rural Americana counties grew by less than 1 percent—and distressed Americana is shrinking......

Susan Lund and Et al., "The future of work in America," McKinsey Global Institute, July 2019, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-in-america-people-and-places-today-and-tomorrow