Mississippi is known for being the poorest state in the U.S. In fact, 24% of people live below the poverty line. Besides the residents of this state, few people truly know how bad this state has it. One-fourth of the state population is truly struggling, almost one in every four people in Mississippi are living under the poverty line. Mississippi was once a flourishing state but has been sucked deep into the dark hole of poverty, because of the massive unemployment and lack of education.
The poverty problem started way back in the beginning of the 19th century. Mississippi was the top cotton manufacturer in the United States. The state was economically and politically dependent on cotton. It was the fifth wealthiest state thanks to the immense production of cotton, large plantations, and forced slave labor. (Source-History) Mississippi’s economy really came crashing down during the Civil War. Before then it was once one of the wealthiest cotton producers in the world, and then suddenly lots of planters were forced to give up their land in order to pay debts or taxes. Along with the Civil War another detrimental factor was farming. The state’s crop industry was a major source for earning money. The main crops included soybeans and cotton. Severe …show more content…
Since August of 2014 the unemployment rate stands at 7.9%. To put this into perspective, out of the entire civilian Labor Force, which is 1,243,600 people, 92,200 of them are unemployed. (BLS.gov). That statistic shows just how bad the unemployment problem really is in the state of Mississippi. There are many reasons behind this, but one reason for unemployment is that farm machines have cut down the amount of employees needed. Examples of other reasons behind unemployment are difficulty getting to work, limited day care, and mismatch skills that are needed for certain jobs but aren’t obtained by certain people. (Understanding Falling Poverty in the Poorest