One in five West
Virginians between the ages of 16 and 24 are not going to school
and they’re not working.
That’s according to a new report
from the Opportunity Nation Coalition which showed, nationally, 15 percent of
people in that age group are not on the job or in class.
It cost taxpayers an estimated $93
billion last year in lost revenues and increased social services.
Russell Krumnow, managing director
for Opportunity Nation, said such inactivity affects everyone.
“We know if young people don’t get
on the career ladder early, don’t get skills, don’t start building social
networks and communities that they can benefit from, it depresses their
lifetime earnings and, as a result, harms their communities and the larger
economy,” said Krumnow.
The rate of young people out of
school and out of work is one of the factors Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan
nonprofit group made up of 250 organizations, used to determine West Virginia
The state’s score is one of the
lowest in the United States
Other factors considered include
the number of people living below the poverty line, Internet access, college
graduation rates, income equality and public safety.
“Communities really matter and
that’s what the data and the Opportunity Index tells us,” said Krumnow on
Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline.” “Where you live makes a difference and,
for way too many Americans, the zip code you’re born into often determines how
high you can climb.”
Much of West Virginia
The individual counties in West Virginia
