The Mississippi state flag (bottom) waves in front of the city skyline in Jackson, Mississippi on June 28, 2020.
Rory Doyle | AFP | Getty Images
There may be no better place to beat inflation than Mississippi, which offers the lowest cost of living in the nation. But workers are not exactly beating their feet to get there.
With one of America’s least educated and least productive workforces, and one of the worst rates of worker migration, according to Census data, Mississippi finishes at the bottom of CNBC’s annual state competitiveness rankings.
Greg Howell, a manager at Magnolia Diesel in West Point, Mississippi, knows firsthand about the talent shortage in his state. He is searching for two diesel mechanics at his repair shop about 45 miles south of Tupelo. But he said the applications he is getting so far are not impressive.
“You might let them air up your bicycle tire. But finding good quality people that want to work is just slim to none right now,” Howell said.
In Mississippi, the job of diesel mechanic pays, on average, about $22 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the higher the skills, the higher the wage. Still, there have been no takers for the Tupelo-area positions.
“A good mechanic is not looking for a job right now,” Howell said.
See the full list of America’s Top States for Business 2022
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