Higher Costs, Fewer opportunities

As prices for food, fuel, transportation skyrocket it puts more pressure on those who already don’t have enough. The USDA reports that Egg Prices are up 34.7%, Diary up 12.8%, Poultry up 8.3%, but as employers attempt to slash costs and cut pay, families are trapped. With a weakening US dollar buying less abroad, oil prices have skyrocketed and pushed gasoline to well over $3.00 a gallon. Meanwhile, many employers are forced to cut jobs and salaries, and even if the pay stays the same it just doesn't stretch as far as it did before. 

A recent Reuters article indicates that poor counties in Kentucky "have higher than average rates of subprime loans than other counties in their respective states", putting pressure on housing markets lenders and borrowers. A study by the Brookings Institute indicates that Kentuckians in poor communities pay more for goods and services than those in higher income areas, and cites that  "Kentucky residents who live in lower-income neighborhoods pay $384 more (or 49 percent) more in auto insurance premiums than those in high-income neighborhoods". Economic opportunity has hindered Kentuckians from being able to pull themseleves out of poverty. As the demand for high-tech jobs increases worldwide, Kentuckians without the ability to afford higher education and training find themseleves further and further out of place in the digital divide. Workers without high-tech skills find themselves working low paying jobs that don't afford them the basics in life.