For at least the last 40 years, pay and job quality for workers across the South has been inferior compared with other regions, according to a new Economic Policy Institute report.
These are deliberate outcomes of the Southern economic development model, which is characterized by low wages, limited regulations on businesses, a regressive tax system, subsidies that funnel tax dollars to the wealthy and corporations, a weak safety net, and staunchly anti-union policies and practices.
Specifically, the report finds:
The report is the latest in a series, “Rooted in racism and economic exploitation,” that takes a deep dive into the failed Southern economic development model. Previous reports have illustrated the South’s economic underperformance and the development of the Southern economic development strategy.
“The Southern economic development model does not—and cannot—lift all Southerners to economic security or prosperity. Southerners from all backgrounds—across race, ethnicity, gender, immigrant statuses, and income levels—must come together to demand a new economic model that centers and empowers workers and families,” said report author Chandra Childers, who is a senior policy and economic analyst for EPI’s Economic Analysis and Research Network.