South trails rest of nation in economic mobility

The Pew Center for the States has issued its first analysis of Americans' economic mobility, defined as "their movement up and down the earnings ladder, at the state level." According to the report's executive summary, the study focused on Americans in their prime working years, examining earnings averaged between ages 35 and 39 (measured between 1978 and 1997) and how those earnings rose or fell a decade later (measured between 1988 and 2007).

On the Pew Center's website, readers can access an interactive map and much more information about the report. To do that, click here.

A quick look at the map reveals a few key points: Eight states, primarily in New England, have consistently higher upward mobility rates compared to the nation. Nine states, all in the South, have consistently lower mobility compared to the nation. The study also revealed that geographic mobility -- that is, whether people who were born in a state stayed there or moved elsewhere -- does not drive state differences in economic mobility.