Mississippi is one of eight states that lost population last year, although the loss was only a tenth of 1 percent. Continuing population declines in the Delta have been a big factor.
Last month, a glimmer of hope emerged when a California outsourcing company with Indian roots, People Shores, announced plans to hire 200 people in Clarksdale. ...
People Shores is looking to hire “business process associates” for its call centers, which also provide image processing and data services for tech companies. For instance, the company provides premium postings and policy renewals for a variety of insurance companies and a variety of other back-office work for some of the top companies in the country. The company plans to give new employees two months of general skills training followed by training for specific tasks needed by its clients.
People Shores is an offshoot of Rural Shores, an Indian company founded in 2008 to utilize India’s vast rural population. Currently it operates 16 rural centers in India, employing thousands.
With the U.S. approaching full employment, let’s hope our nation’s powerful economic engine will find a way to train and develop the underutilized labor force in the Mississippi Delta. Such a turnaround in the poorest part of our state would bode well for the state as a whole.
• The Northside Sun, Jackson.
