West Virginia's economy continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly two years after impacts were first felt in the state. After historic job losses in the spring of 2020, the state underwent a steep, but partial recovery in the summer. However, growth has been sluggish in recent months, and a substantial jobs gap…
Economy
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Logan Banner - Gov. Jim Justice on Monday announced that West Virginia exceeded revenue expectations for December 2021 by $124.4 million. Read the full article.
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Williamson Daily News- Federal COVID-19 pandemic relief and stimulus funds boosted federal grants to states to record levels in the 2019-20 budget year, an analysis by the Pew Federal Trusts found. Read the full article.
CNN, Kake - Almost all of the states that produce the most unfavorable economic and health care outcomes for children are among those poised to ban or severely restrict access to abortion if the Supreme Court overturns the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision. Read the full article. That pattern underscores the paradox that the states most…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Last month I traveled to New York for my birthday on my first trip since COVID hit. Read the full op-ed.
Charleston Gazette-Mail - I've covered the state budget process long enough to know that budget surpluses are better than budget deficits, so November tax collections of $435.6 million, $88.03 million above projections, is good news. Read the full article.
Charleston Gazette-Mail - State officials Monday discussed state and federal workforce shortage issues and the role the "benefits cliff effect" plays in exacerbating those shortages. Read the full article.
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald-Dispatch - Bolstered by another month of strong severance tax collection, the ongoing influx of billions of dollars of federal pandemic stimulus funds and plain old good timing, West Virginia tax collection for November came in at $435.6 million, or $88.03 million higher than projected, figures released by the Senate Finance Committee…
Mountain State Spotlight, Beckley Register-Herald - It was October 2020. And with each passing day, the COVID-19 pandemic escalated. Read the full article. West Virginians’ suffering extended beyond sickness and death. The virus had dealt a powerful economic blow, with many state residents struggling to meet their basic needs. With the coming winter, that struggle…
Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the overall year-over-year inflation rate in October was 6.2 percent, a notably high rate. While there are many reasons to believe that inflation will ease in the coming months, some, including West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, are arguing that current high rates of inflation are not…