GEORGIA — As the country recognizes the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a new WalletHub study ranks Georgia number one in the nation for racial progress.
The report says Georgia has reduced the earnings gap between Black and white residents by more than 32 percentage points over the past 47 years, the largest reduction in the country.
WalletHub notes the rankings are based on improvement across several categories, including employment, wealth, education and business ownership.
The study credits Georgia for making significant strides in education and ranks the state first in progress for minority business ownership. Georgia also ranks fourth nationally for improving the number of Black residents in executive positions.
While Georgia tops the list overall, the report notes there is still work to be done. The state ranks toward the bottom when it comes to health outcomes, even as it leads the nation in employment and wealth-related progress.
Despite the gains highlighted in the report, WalletHub says nationwide optimism about achieving racial equality remains low. The study found only 28 percent of people feel somewhat or very optimistic that racial equality is possible.
WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.