Overview:
There is a tendency to assume that people who live in poverty do not work; that working hard enough will prevent someone from falling into poverty. Maps 15 and 16 explore this idea further by looking at individuals 16 years and older and their employment status. Clicking on a map will show it as a full length page.
As you can see from the maps, the assumption that having a job prevents people from falling into poverty is correct in most areas. However, there are some areas of higher percentages in Map 16, that suggest otherwise. There is potential research opportunities in why that is the case. Particularly interesting is how several of the higher percentage counties are adjacent to one another in Map 16.
It is worth noting, though, that correlation does not equal causation. There are plenty of reasons why an individual is unemployed and there are plenty of ways to fall into poverty. Being impoverished just because one is unemployed is possible, but not the only viable explanation. The purpose of this map is to show areas where attention is needed for individuals who need help rising out of poverty.