An Economic Survey of the Ozark Region

Excerpts from the report Highlights: The Ozark Region as delineated for this study comprises 115 counties in, or bordering, the Ozark and Ouachita Mountain areas of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. (The official delineation of the region was made by John T. Connor, Secretary of Commerce, March 2, 1966, and included 125 counties.) Employment opportunities within the region have contracted, causing a continued outmigration of youth, absolute population losses, and low incomes. Incomes are too low to support adequate public services. Low-wage labor-intensive industry moving into the area has contributed to an adverse industry balance. The age composition, insufficient education, and lack of marketable skills of the population tend to retard development of economic activities, and also tend to keep workers from moving where jobs are available. The major economic problem within the region affecting every type of adjustment is the amount and quality of education