The Nine Worst States to Get a Raise

9. Alabama
> Absolute mobility change: 12%
> Percent with upward mobility: 27%
> Percent with downward mobility: 32%

Alabama’s absolute upward mobility — the increase in wages for the residents surveyed — was approximately 12%. This is tied for the worst increase among all states, along with South Carolina, which is in the same region. Just 27% of those studied experienced substantial upward mobility, well below the national average of 34%. Alabama has the sixth-lowest rate of high school graduation in the country, as well as the fifth-lowest median household income at $40,474 and the sixth-highest poverty rate of 17.4%.

8. Florida
> Absolute mobility change: 15%
> Percent with upward mobility: 32%
> Percent with downward mobility: 31%

Florida’s unemployment rate has been one of the country’s highest in the past few years, and its current rate of 9% is no different. The state also suffers from one of the most distressed housing markets in the nation. Home values dropped at the third-largest rate from 2006 to 2010, and the state’s foreclosure rate is the fourth highest as of October 2011. It is slightly more likely that one will move up economically than down in the state. However, it is the state’s downward mobility that is significantly worse than the national average.

7. Kentucky
> Absolute mobility change: 13%
> Percent with upward mobility: 34%
> Percent with downward mobility: 35%

Kentucky is the northernmost state in the country in our list of states with the absolute worst economic mobility. Wages for those surveyed in the state increased just 13%, compared to the U.S. average of 17%. Relative to the southeast region, however, upward mobility is actually quite strong in the state, with 42% of those studied improving 10 percentiles or more. However, Kentucky also has among the worst downward mobility, at 35%, compared to a national average of 28%.

6. Louisiana
> Absolute mobility change: 13%
> Percent with upward mobility: 28%
> Percent with downward mobility: 36%

Louisiana is one of three states in which all three measures of economic mobility are significantly worse than the national averages. The state is one of the country’s poorest, with a poverty rate of 17.8% and a median household income that is nearly $8,000 less than the national average. Louisiana also has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. In addition, the state’s rate of violent crime is among the country’s highest.

5. Mississippi
> Absolute mobility change: 17%
> Percent with upward mobility: 26%
> Percent with downward mobility: 36%

Mississippi’s absolute mobility was on par with the rest of the nation, with earnings increasing roughly 17% over 10 years. However, upward mobility is the lowest in the country, with just 26% breaking out of their earnings bracket compared to a national rate of 34%. Far more residents were moving the other way. About 36% of those earning above the median dropped 10 percentiles or more. Mississippi is by far the poorest state in the U.S., with 21.8% of households living below the poverty line. The state also has the third-lowest rate of educational attainment — just 81% of residents 25 or older have a high school diploma.