It's almost Halloween, a spooky time of year with ghosts, witches, zombies, and unemployment claims data. If you love being scared, check out these bone-chilling charts featuring some ghastly trends on West Virginia's economic recovery during COVID-19. But be warned, these blood-curdling bars and spine-tingling lines are not for the squeamish. West Virginia lost 93,900…
Economy
Last week, West Virginia’s Bureau for Children and Families released updated state Medicaid enrollment figures. The data revealed that 6,500 additional West Virginians registered for the program in September. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February – and the subsequent loss of employment and wages – 53,500 additional individuals have gained coverage. This…
WVVA - As part of federal COVID-relief legislation passed in March, West Virginia received $1.25 billion to address the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Read full article. As of October 19, there is still over $969 million remaining unspent with a December 30 deadline for utilizing the funds. Governor Justice’s current proposal would send…
According the latest jobs report from WorkforceWV, West Virginia's jobs recovery -- which had already been showing signs of weakness in recent months -- took another step backward in September, as total non-farm employment fell by 3,000 jobs. Most of September's jobs losses occurred in the public sector, with the state losing 3,200 government jobs,…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice continues to push back on criticism that the state isn’t expediting the rollout of federal CARES Act relief. Read full article. “At the end of the day, we’re going to some way, some how, disburse every last dollar of this CARES money before December the 30th,” the governor…
West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice says President Trump should not suspend negotiations on the latest round of federal coronavirus relief. Read full article. “I don’t want him to do that,” Justice said today, “and I do not think that’s the thing to do.” New data out this week shows that two-thirds of renters…
Beckley Register-Herald - Sean O’Leary, senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, reports in a blog post that West Virginia had recovered roughly two-thirds of the 93,900 jobs it lost in March and April. Read full article. “As previous posts have shown, most of those gains occurred in May…
West Virginia has recovered roughly two-thirds of the 93,900 jobs it lost in March and April as the economy was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As previous posts have shown, most of those gains occurred in May and June, with job growth slowing significantly in July and August. But as the jobs recovery as…
West Virginia saw another month of relatively slow job growth as the state and the nation continue to struggle with COVID-19's economic impact. According to Workforce WV, total nonfarm employment increased by 5,500 jobs in August, including 2,200 private sector jobs. While the economy is still adding jobs, the pace of the recovery has slowed…
For Immediate Release: September 21, 2020 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 Charleston, WV- For several months, members of the Health Care for All WV coalition have urged our U.S. Senators and House Representatives to prioritize a robust COVID relief package that would address the immense suffering West Virginia families, businesses, and local governments are facing. Congress has failed…