Employment and Income in West Virginia

In reporting that West Virginia "has never ranked higher than 44th in the nation when it comes to the income level of its average citizen" since 1979, the Charleston Daily Mail also sheds light on a troubling statistic.

"WVU research shows that in 2005, only about 55 percent of able-bodied people aged 16 and older participated in the workforce," the article said. "Nationally, the average was 65.9 percent in 2005."

The article cites Tom Witt, director of WVU's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, who said "the high number of citizens who are able to work but don't is a serious drag on the overall average income."

"West Virginia has the lowest labor force participation rate in the country," Witt told the newspaper. "This has been a chronic, long-term statistic in our state. I see no reason for that to change."