Under President Biden, Appalachia Catches Up

     Appalachia has gained notoriety as the "poorest region in America," and it has gotten that way because of decades of disinvestment and the lack of a diversified economy. President Biden is working to change both of these problems, and, as a result, Appalachia is catching up under President Biden. 

     President Biden's Investing in America Agenda has been marked by a slew of historic legislation, including the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, the $400 billion Honoring Our PACT Act, and the $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which represents more than $4 trillion for the American people who need it the most.

     Appalachia, of course, has received its share of this $4 trillion. Alabama has received $16.5 billion in public and private-sector investments because of this legislation. Georgia has received $52.4 billion, while North Carolina has gotten $43.7 billion, Tennessee $27.3 billion, Kentucky $22.7 billion, Ohio $55.2 billion, West Virginia $16.7 billion, Virginia $12.7 billion, Maryland $15.6 billion, and Pennsylvania $19.7 billion. That's a total of nearly $283 billion in public and private investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing across the Appalachian states in just over two years. These investments will continue rolling in for years to come.

     However, Appalachia is already seeing the impact. Alabama hit a record low unemployment rate of 2.1 percent and is currently at three percent, which is below the national average of four percent. Georgia's unemployment rate is at 3.2 percent and is one of the lowest in the country. North Carolina hit a record low of 3.3 percent and currently sits at 3.6 percent, which is ten percent lower than the national average. Tennessee's unemployment rate in May hit a record low of three percent. Kentucky has broken records for the lowest unemployment rate every year for the past several years while breaking state economic development records. Ohio hit a record low unemployment rate in 2023. West Virginia hit a record low unemployment rate, dipping below four percent for the first time in 2023. Virginia's rate sits at a historic low of 2.7 percent. Maryland's unemployment rate plunged at one point to just 1.6 percent and currently sits at 2.7 percent, while Pennsylvania is at a historic low of 3.4 percent.

     Appalachia has gone from the American bastion of unemployment to a place where every single state in the region has hit its record low unemployment rate within the past year and most have rates below the national average. Per a report by the Appalachian Regional Commission, poverty has dropped significantly while income has increased on par with the national average. Educational attainment and population have grown rapidly, and the progress is evenly spread across the entirety of the region.

     There is still a lot of work to do. Poverty in Appalachia is still slightly higher than in the U.S. However, at the current rate, it could be reduced to at or below the national level by the end of the decade. This is very likely as federal and private dollars continue to roll into Appalachia at a much higher rate than elsewhere in the nation. Under President Biden, Appalachia is catching up.