Southern states are well represented among the states with the lowest prime-age EPOPs: Prime-age (ages 25–54) employment-to-population ratios (EPOPs) for the 10 states with the lowest prime-age EPOPs and the U.S. overall
| State | Prime-age EPOP |
|---|---|
| United States | 78.2% |
| Oklahoma | 75.9% |
| California | 75.6% |
| Kentucky | 75.3% |
| Alaska | 75.3% |
| Arkansas | 75.2% |
| Louisiana | 74.6% |
| Alabama | 74.4% |
| New Mexico | 73.0% |
| Mississippi | 73.0% |
| West Virginia | 72.7% |
Note: The prime-age employment-to-population ratio is the share of the population ages 25–54 who are employed.
Source: EPI analysis of 2017–2021 Current Population Survey microdata.