My wife is also employed part time and brings home an additional $15,000.

Despite the layoffs I cannot hire any help because the unemployment pays better for oil hands than $12 to $15 an hour jobs, and I don't do under the table employment.     

These rural type areas have maybe one or two major employers and if they go out it creates a domino effect.You say it is a strong-micro economy which lends itself more to a suburban than a rural classification.We look for rents at no more than 10% of sales for NNN and 5% is optimal.

I know one of the biggest employers left in the area are downsizing which doesn't help either. 

It could help but being your first rental property the bank is going to rely heavily on your personal credit/financials and employment.

I’m new to the forums but have been spending the last few months reading everything I can and talking to investors (my dad happens to be a money manager and I have been working directly with the CFO and CEO of my employer on a few projects so I have pretty good access to high net worth and extremely invested people).

Or will it also include employment history, income, previous addresses, contact info, etc. 

I work as a network Engineer, and i have a decent income but i don't have enough employment history in the united state(I was in Dominican Republic since i was a teenager)  so i don't get a approve. 

Employment comes from either the mines, government, a local extension of a College University or a local hospital.

It took me YEARS of constantly hounding the family patriarch to teach me HOW they owned over 70 homes with the majority being mortgage free.Fast forward 20+ years and I've realized that my few transactions need to become MANY more to generate the income and lifestyle that will allow me to have both the time and money to spend with family and friends when I choose – and not just on days off from my employer.