What is Rural Telework?

Our information-based, global economy provides hope and opportunities for new jobs in rural communities. One way to create these jobs is through telework. Telework is the use of telecommunications and information technology to allow people to work from a location other than the central office (i.e., to bring work to people rather than people to work). Telework is effective for a broad range of jobs-especially for knowledge workers-from word processing and data entry to software engineers and writers. The number of teleworkers nationwide jumped from 4 million in 1990 to 19.5 million in 2000. While the majority of these teleworkers are in urban areas, today's technology makes it possible for work to occur anywhere.

Rural telework takes advantage of technology advancements and enables businesses to offer jobs outside of urban areas. Teleworkers can either work for these companies as employees or under contract. Although some businesses may chose to develop a facility to house operations, telework does not require expensive relocation or expansion costs. There are a variety of models of rural telework-from individuals working out of home-based offices to telework centers where multiple employers have employees working in a shared facility. These telework centers can also serve as a community technology resource site, providing access and training on computers and the Internet. Another example of rural telework is the expansion of current operations into rural communities, as is the case with call centers or customer service branch offices. Telework is flexible and scalable, based on the needs and interests of employers, communities and individual workers.

The overall economy is strengthened and diversified by rural telework. Rural telework jobs provide urban employers with new opportunities to meet human capital needs and reduce costs. Each job located outside urban areas may mean one less commuter in peak hour traffic-a potentially positive impact on the current infrastructure and environment. Telework jobs benefit rural communities by providing living wage jobs, reducing out-migration, providing year-round employment and diversifying the economy in regions experiencing depletion in natural resource-based jobs.

Telework can be a new strategy in economic development plans for rural communities. In order for telework to be successful, communities must have three essential elements in place-sufficient telecommunications infrastructure, workforce development capacity and interest in securing information-based jobs. Rural telework provides a return on telecommunications infrastructure investments by strategically utilizing this resource to benefit rural communities through job creation.