WV RANKED 4TH WORSE STATE TO MAKE A LIVING

(07/08/2015)

West Virginia has been ranked by USA Today as the fourth worst state in the nation to make a living. Thousands of low-paying WV manufacturing jobs have been shifted to foreign countries through globalization, in addition to the higher paying steel industry jobs. The WV steel industry was once the state's largest employer. Now the largest employer is WalMart. Part of the decline is in coal, with the market shifting to a higher quality of coal produced in other states, and the resurgence of natural gas. The study cites reasons like the unemployment rate and the average income being $37,880 a year. The unemployment rate in West Virginia is among the worst in the nation. The cost of living in the state is also slightly more than average. There is a positive note though, the estimated sales tax on average income was right over $1,400, the second lowest on the list. Other states on the list include: 10) Connecticut 9) Rhode Island 8) South Dakota 7) Montana 6) California 5) Vermont 4) West Virginia 3) Maine 2) Oregon 1) Hawaii The states were evaluated on key factors including, average wages, state tax rates, cost of living, unemployment rate, and incidents of workplace illness, injuries and fatalities.

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