BRINGING GLOBALIZATION DOWN-TO-EARTH - RESTRUCTURING AND LABOR IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

A case study of laid-off workers in a rural Ontario county is placed w ithin the polarized debate over the implications for workers and for s ociety more broadly of trade liberalization and economic restructuring . Examining experiences of layoff, including length of time unemployed , comparisons between old and new jobs, and the degree of income loss, we present empirical data on the transformation taking place in a rur al community context. We argue that, for such communities at least, th e long-term effects of restructuring are negative for workers and thei r communities overall, and are particularly disadvantageous for women and older workers.