This paper aims at analysing impact of using unique resources of the regions classified by rurality for creating higher value added and new jobs in the rural regions. Rapid changes in the world economy required revision of the rural policy paradigm and adaptation to the values of post-industrial society and necessity to find new tools to ensure prosperity of rural regions. Unique cultural, historic and natural resources of the region can be used as a tool to increase regional economic growth by creating higher value added and new jobs. Typology for classifying regions by rurality and uniqueness index was developed for the assessment of impact of using unique resources of the region as economic advantage. In the next stage value added and jobs creation possibilities were assessed. The results revealed that classification of the regions by rurality using uniqueness index of each rural region can be used for identification of groups of the regions within a country that can serve as a basis for creation regional support strategy that can be applied by various governmental institutions with the aim to create higher value added and new jobs creation using unique cultural, historic and natural resources. This analysis has been conducted at the national level. From a policy perspective, recommendations for the regional policy to define important insights for the programming period 2014-2020 in the EU can be applied.
Keywords: Jobs creation, regional policy, rural policy, rural regions, unique resources, value added.
Gedminaite-Raudone, Z. 2014. Impact of using unique resources of the regions classified by rurality for higher value added and new jobs creation, ICEIRD 2014 / The 7th International Conference for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development. 5-6 June 2014, Nicosia, Cyprus, 365-373. ISBN 978-9963-7355-4-9.
