We'll shine the spotlight this morning on an eye-opening heads-up story from UtahPolicy.com, reporting on a recent Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) study "which rates Utah dead-last in the nation when it comes to economic security for families. The analysis took into account 85 areas including income, job quality, education, public supports and how much families save."
Here's the full story, from the 24/7 Wall St. website:
And here's the Utah data and rating in a nutshell, for those who'd just like to cut to the chase:
The fact that Utah is technically tied with states like Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, who all share D+ ratings, will provide at least some consolation to cash-strapped Utahns, we suppose... at least in the sense that misery loves company, right?1. UtahNo state offers its residents fewer benefits than Utah. The state is among the nation’s worst at providing public support programs. A worker going on unemployment insurance in May 2012 was eligible for 60 weeks of benefits, much less than most other states. Worse, just 40% of unemployed workers were even on this program, among the lowest in the nation. Utah was also rated among the nation’s worst states at providing policies that encouraged residents to build their savings and assets. The state is among the worst at providing consumer protections against payday lending. Utah’s limits for TANF, SNAP and Medicaid eligibility were all considered to be stringent by WOW.
> Economic security grade: D+
> Median household income: $55,869 (14th highest)
> Gov’t spending per capita, 2011: $5,922 (20th lowest)
> Tax collections per capita, FY 2011: $1,958 (13th lowest)
So can we see by a show of hands, folks, how many of you are surprised by these results?