JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – According to a report by WalletHub.com, Mississippi ranks #2 as the state with the most at-risk youth.
WalletHub compared 50 states and the District of Columbia with each other using 15 key indicators of youth risk. For instance, 18% of 20-24-year-olds are neither enrolled in school nor working. Of this group, 37% did not finish high school. According to Military.com, 77% of young adults would be ineligible to join the military without a waiver due to being overweight, using drugs, or having physical or mental health problems. According to research funded by the National Institutes of Health, youth are more at risk for poverty, early pregnancy and violence when they grow up in environments lacking economic stability and a lack of role models.MDAC accepts cost share applications for wild hog traps
The Magnolia state tied for fifth for the rate of overweight and obese youth. Among youth, Mississippi has the lowest labor force participation rate. It is half the rate of Wisconsin, the country’s highest. Additionally, Mississippi has the second-highest Youth Poverty Rate in the country.
According to other research from WalletHub, Mississippi has the highest rate of families living in poverty nationally.
Source : 12WJTV