Economy

September 27, 2023 by WVCBP
New Report Looks at the State of West Virginia’s Unemployed and Those Outside the Workforce

For Immediate Release: September 27, 2023 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 Charleston, WV – Each year the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy releases its annual State of Working West Virginia report, which examines West Virginia's economy through the lens of its workers— the people who power our state and our economy. While each year's report has a slightly different…

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September 7, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
Checking in on West Virginia’s Economy

With the unofficial end of summer passing with Labor Day, now is a good time to check in on West Virginia's economy. And while the nation as a whole has experienced a strong recovery from the pandemic, West Virginia is lagging behind on several key indicators over the past year. The national economy has added…

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May 15, 2023 by Seth DiStefano
WV Center for Budget and Policy Talks Public Resources Amid Tax Cuts

WBOY - A representative from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy (WVCBP) held a meeting at the Morgantown Public Library downtown this evening.   Read the full article. Much of the meeting spoke about how the state does not have a surplus of money in its budget and how the loss of the…

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April 25, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Job Mismatch

The latest State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed West Virginia had the highest job openings rate in the country, at 9.2 percent and with 71,000 job openings. While there has been much discussion about legislation to cut unemployment benefits in an attempt to "get people back…

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March 28, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Economic Recovery Slowed in 2022

Every March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revises state labor force statistics. Each month, the state unemployment rate and other labor statistics are approximated based on a sample national survey, which is used to produce an estimate for West Virginia. When other data sources are revised (e.g., when the Census releases new population data), those…

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February 27, 2023 by Rhonda Rogombe
Black Communities in West Virginia Know What Policies Could Make Their Lives Better. Now They Need Them to Happen.

Mountain State Spotlight, Fayette Tribune - As Katonya Hart stood outside of the House of Delegates chamber at the West Virginia Capitol,  a sparkly tiara fastened to her multicolored twists, the energy around her was undeniable.  Read the full article. A floor below, the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. moved about in coordinated…

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December 28, 2022 by Kelly Allen
COVID Relief Money is Building New Marshall Baseball Field

Williamson Daily News - Despite pleas from social service groups to Gov. Jim Justice that leftover federal COVID relief money should be used to help struggling households, Justice instead diverted some of that money to ensure construction of Marshall University’s new baseball field. Read the full article. Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, 29 social…

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December 14, 2022 by WVCBP
New Report Examines Decade of Failed Policies to Promote Economic Growth, Provides Path Forward

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2022 Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV – Prior to the pandemic, West Virginia experienced a lost decade, with essentially no economic growth from 2009 to 2019. This happened despite years of so-called business friendly policies like tax cuts, right to work, repeal of the prevailing wage, and reductions in state spending that were…

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