Not having read the article, only the comment, my first thought was “unprofitable”. I’m sure context would have made it clear, but I was still kind of shocked how far off I was.
> but I was still kind of shocked how far off I was
Far off in etymology maybe but in the grand scheme of things / abstractly, not that far off. Being poor is probably the most unprofitable state you can be in today's society, being poor costs a lot more than having lots of money.