By Lewis Loflin
Southwest Virginia (SWVA) has long aspired to transition from its coal-dependent past to a tech-driven economy, with millions of dollars in public funds invested in broadband infrastructure and economic development projects. Despite these efforts, the region faces persistent challenges, including a 45% decline in the information sector from 2010 to 2020, contrasting with a 2% national increase. Policies favoring foreign labor through H-1B and L-1 visa programs, supported by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), have exacerbated these issues, displacing local tech workers and contributing to economic stagnation. The recent opening of the EarthLink call center in Norton, Virginia, exemplifies these struggles, with questionable job creation claims highlighting systemic failures in SWVA’s economic strategy. This analysis delves into the impact on local tech workers, the EarthLink project’s outcomes, and the broader structural barriers facing the region.
Rep. Morgan Griffith, representing Virginia’s 9th District, which encompasses SWVA, has consistently supported legislation expanding H-1B and L-1 visa programs, such as the 2015 H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act. These policies have enabled companies to import tens of thousands of workers, predominantly from India—over 70% of H-1B visas in recent years, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data. While SWVA is not a tech hub, the region feels the ripple effects of these programs. Companies operating in SWVA, such as Sykes in Buchanan County and Travelocity in Dickenson County, have historically used visa programs to train foreign workers at lower costs before offshoring jobs entirely, leaving local workers with few opportunities.
The consequences for SWVA’s tech workers are severe. Many, often trained in basic IT or customer support roles, find themselves displaced, with limited high-tech opportunities available locally. Those who remain in the workforce are frequently relegated to low-wage positions in retail, hospitality, or call centers, earning $12–$15 per hour in 2025—far below the salaries needed to sustain a family or build a career. The outmigration of 8,000–10,000 college graduates annually from SWVA further depletes the region’s talent pool, as young professionals seek better prospects in urban centers like Richmond or Charlotte. Educational gaps, with approximately 50% of residents in Dickenson County lacking a high school diploma as of 2008, compound these challenges, leaving the local workforce ill-equipped to compete in a tech-driven economy.
The EarthLink call center, which opened on August 9, 2024, at Project Intersection in Norton, Virginia, was heralded as a flagship project to revitalize SWVA’s economy. The 28,000–30,000-square-foot facility, constructed on former coal mine land, cost $10.4–$11 million, a significant increase from the initial $5.4 million estimate due to post-COVID supply chain disruptions and steel shortages. Public funding played a substantial role in the project’s financing, with a $686,500 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund, a $62,500 grant from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, and over $25 million in additional grants for Project Intersection from agencies like the Virginia Department of Energy and the Appalachian Regional Commission. EarthLink leases the building from the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, likely at favorable terms, meaning the company effectively acquired the facility “for pennies” relative to its true cost—a common practice in SWVA’s economic development initiatives.
EarthLink claims the facility has created “over 200 jobs,” with projections of up to 285 positions. Reports from Cardinal News and Brunswick Times-Gazette cite EarthLink’s press releases and statements from CEO Glenn Goad and Governor Glenn Youngkin, but no independent verification, such as payroll data or audits, supports this number. A 2023 Virginia Business report revealed EarthLink had hired only 50 employees by mid-2023, with Goad acknowledging recruitment challenges and aiming for 100 by March 2024. This discrepancy raises doubts about the rapid scaling to over 200 by August 2024. While the facility’s role as EarthLink’s only U.S. sales center and ongoing job listings (e.g., Inside Sales Experts, Technical Support Agents at $17–$38/hour) indicate hiring activity, the “over 200” figure may include temporary or part-time roles, or be aspirational rather than realized.
Economic development projects in SWVA have a history of inflating job numbers to justify public investment, as seen with past cases like Sykes and Travelocity, which promised high-tech jobs but delivered low-skill positions or offshored entirely. The lack of transparency in EarthLink’s job data, combined with the region’s broader economic struggles, suggests that the call center may not provide the sustainable, high-quality jobs needed to revitalize Norton and surrounding areas.
SWVA’s economic challenges extend beyond individual projects like EarthLink. Despite over $300–$400 million in broadband investments—including $120 million from Bristol Virginia Utilities (2002-2013), $45 million in 2010 federal stimulus funds for LENOWISCO areas, and $1.5 billion in Virginia funds since 2021—the region has failed to develop a sustainable tech sector. The information sector declined by 45% from 2010 to 2020, while the national sector grew by 2%, a stark indicator of SWVA’s inability to capitalize on digital infrastructure. Public subsidies have often benefited companies more than residents, with firms leveraging grants to minimize costs while delivering minimal economic impact. For example, the EarthLink project mirrors the pattern of unfulfilled promises: low-wage call center jobs rather than high-tech opportunities, and questionable job creation metrics that lack independent verification.
Population declines of 3–5% in counties like Buchanan and Russell since 2010 reflect the region’s broader stagnation. The lack of transparency in investment and job data, often withheld to protect competitive strategies, further complicates accountability. Local tech workers face additional barriers due to visa-driven competition and offshoring, which have undermined efforts to build a robust tech economy. The reliance on call centers, as seen with EarthLink, perpetuates a cycle of low-skill, low-wage employment, failing to address the structural issues that drive outmigration and economic decline.
A LENOWISCO study foresaw non-unionized call centers’ collapse, warning of offshoring risks (Asia’s $1–$5/hour wages), low-skill reliance (~30% no high school diploma, 2003), and firms exploiting subsidies, like VCEDA’s $5.6 million for Sykes. Non-unionized sites lost ~2 million U.S. jobs by 2015, unlike AT&T’s protected workforce. Education gaps—~50% no diploma in Dickenson County (2008)—worsened vulnerabilities. LENOWISCO Study, sullivan-county.com
| Sector | SWVA (% Decline) | USA (% Change) |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Ent., & Rec. | -20% | 6% |
| Wholesale | -25% | 3% |
| Construction | -35% | 24% |
| Information | -45% | 2% |
| Mining | -50% | -11% |
Notes: Excluding mining, SWVA experienced the greatest declines in sectors that grew nationally. The region’s mining sector decline exceeded the national average. A total of 10,451 jobs were eliminated across these five sectors, with 16,774 jobs lost when including national mining sector declines between 2010-2020. The 45% decline in the information sector persists despite an estimated $200 million in public investment, likely exceeding $300–$400 million, with significant data withheld.
Ref: Zach Jackson, Virginia Tech
Visa policies supported by Rep. Morgan Griffith have deepened SWVA’s economic challenges, displacing local tech workers and contributing to a reliance on low-wage call centers like EarthLink’s in Norton. The “over 200 jobs” claim lacks verification, reflecting a broader pattern of unfulfilled promises in the region. The LENOWISCO study’s warnings about offshoring and low-skill reliance remain relevant, underscoring the need for policies that prioritize local labor, transparency in economic development, and investments in education and training to build a sustainable tech workforce. Without addressing these structural issues, SWVA will continue to struggle, unable to fulfill its promise as a tech-driven economy. Compiled April 16, 2025.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for assisting in drafting and refining this article. The final perspective and edits are my own.
