Southern states

Debt delinquency can lead to fees, lower credit scores and higher interest rates. Americans who fall behind on debt payments can face serious financial consequences, from damaged credit scores to higher interest rates - and new analysis by WalletHub suggests that these challenges are particularly widespread in several Southern states. Using proprietary user data from the first quarter of 2026, WalletHub ranked all 50 states based on two measures: the percentage of individual loans and credit accounts that were delinquent and the share of residents' total loan balances that were past due.

Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) and paid sick leave help workers maintain their livelihoods while taking care of themselves and their families. And now, several states in the South have begun to expand worker access to these critical benefits. On January 20, the Economic Policy Institute's EARN in the South network -- a coalition of Southern policy, research and grassroots organizations -- held a virtual press conference highlighting 2026 opportunities to expand paid leave policies in Southern states.