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Embrace W.Va.’s Potential

As inflation has caused a downshift in most personal economies, we know some parts of the country are harder hit than others. In many cases the regions hardest hit are those where economies were already struggling, as here in West Virginia. WalletHub took a look at “2022’s Best and Worst State Economies,” and if you are a Mountain State resident, you probably know what’s next.

We were dead last.

West Virginia is being outperformed by Alaska, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Mississippi at the bottom. We are 49th for economic activity, 42nd for economic health and last for innovation.

West Virginia isn’t pulling its own weight when it comes to national economic growth. In the eyes of researchers such as those at WalletHub, our state doesn’t have a lot to work with for fueling improvement. We’re 49th for fewest inventor patents per 1,000 working age population; 50th for percentage of jobs in high-tech industries; 51st for median annual household income; 50th for startup activity.

We are allowing ourselves to be left behind.

It is up to us to change mindsets enough to reverse that trend. Positive change is possible if we stop looking backward and thinking of our economy as firmly rooted in the industries and values of 100 years ago. Those standards are holding us back.

We can do it. We do have potential here — but we must stop being so very afraid to embrace it.

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