In this paper leading and lagging regions in OECD countries in the 1990s are identified, and a comparative analysis is made of leading and lagging regions in the 1990s with those in the 1980s. The labels 'leading' and 'lagging' are derived from total employment growth. In almost all studied countries, employment growth in the leading predominantly rural and intermediate rural regions in the 1990s tended to exceed that in predominantly urban regions. On the whole, it appeared that about 60% of all leading regions in the 1980s were still leading in the 1990s, and that also 60% of the lagging regions in the 1980s were lagging in the 1990s.