Thinking back on the various small towns in which I and family members have lived... - Stores - Restaurants (usually fast food) - Beauty salons - Auto shops

Thinking back on the various small towns in which I and family members have lived... - Stores - Restaurants (usually fast food) - Beauty salons - Auto shops - Gas stations - Small offices (think lawyers, accountants, etc.) - Clinics (even full-blown hospitals, one of which being my employer for my second job / first IT job) Not to mention various jobs without fixed workplaces. I did freelance computer repair to help supplement my unemployment checks (during the times when I was on unemployment), since that's what I was good at; landscaping, housecleaning, pest control, plumbing/electrical work, etc. all come to mind there, too. There are certainly jobs outside of town, too (e.g. farm work), but those often have on-site or near-site housing (whether as simple as renting a room in a farmhouse or there being an outright mobile home park or somesuch) specifically due to the realization that a lot of people working those jobs can't afford to drive every day. ---- EDIT: if you're in a specialized career I can definitely understand why it'd be hard to find work. Bigger cities seem to have higher demand for specialized work, while smaller cities/towns more often than not need generalists. I've definitely felt that even in IT. Still, this pandemic notwithstanding, these towns/cities do tend to have up to tends of thousands of workers in 'em, doing the same things that a bigger city needs, albeit probably with less specialization and more generalization. And indeed, I think that's why I'm doing okay now, even while working in a small-ish city: I learned the hard way that it probably ain't realistic to specialize on a specific technology or a specific role, and that if I'm gonna develop a lasting career I've gotta be flexible enough to be effective in any sort of role. I can't just be the "Linux and Erlang guy"; I gotta be willing to learn and work with whatever the job requires. Of course, I'm also lucky enough to be working for a company that's not only able to stay open but actively thriving in pandemic conditions; I recognize most Americans - including multiple friends and family members - ain't as lucky as I am, which is exactly why I'm strongly in favor of helping them out wherever possible.