This report was co-authored by Sean O'Leary, senior policy analyst, and Myya Helm, summer research associate. Read the full report here. Introduction As West Virginia recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, its path forward remains unclear. For many years, West Virginia has lagged behind the nation in many positive economic indicators, with low earnings…
Income and Work
For Immediate Release: August 26, 2021Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV – As West Virginia works to recover from the COVID-19 recession, its path forward remains uncertain. While the pandemic undoubtedly introduced unique hardships, the difficult truth is that West Virginia has been struggling economically for decades. For many years, the state has lagged behind the nation in…
Recent data from the United States Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey shows a significant decrease in food insufficiency immediately after households received the first advanced payment of the newly expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), with the largest decline in hunger being among households with children. While the data is already showing the immediate benefits of…
WOWK - Back in mid-June Governor Jim justice cut the extra $300 in federal weekly unemployment benefits early, which affected 15,000 people in the Mountain State. Watch the full segment. While many argue it was intended to get people back to work, the data shows a different reality. Ask most people in Charleston about ending…
Since I have no earthly idea how video streaming services work, and am too cheap to pay for them if I did, I miss out on a lot of the popular new TV series. Read the full article. However, when I was home for vacation, I did have the opportunity to binge-watch the first season…
Charleston Gazette-Mail, Huntington Herald-Dispatch - Gov. Jim Justice’s decision to cut off federal enhanced unemployment benefits 12 weeks early did not improve state employment rates or reduce unemployment rolls, but coincided with a sharp spike in West Virginia households experiencing financial hardships, an analysis released Thursday shows. Read the full article. “With the pandemic still…
On June 19, Governor Justice ended all federally funded pandemic unemployment benefit programs, 12 weeks before they were set to expire. The benefits -- which included an extra weekly $300 payment to unemployed workers, as well as extended eligibility both for workers who had exhausted their regular weeks of eligibility and for self-employed workers and…
WOWK13 - On Inside West Virginia Politics, Kelly Allen, the Executive Direct of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, talks about the importance of Paid Family and Medical Leave being considered in Congress. Watch the full segment. According to Allen, 1 in 5 people have paid medical leave with a higher-paying job. With…
Mountain State Spotlight - Mandy Bock is still wearing the contact lenses she got in early May. She should have swapped them out after two weeks, but she’s rationing them, alternating with a pair of broken glasses. Read the full article. “I’m afraid to [buy new contacts] because what if I need that money for…
For Immediate Release: August 3, 2021Contact: Renee Alves, 559-916-5939 Charleston, WV – West Virginia faces a pivotal moment as we begin to emerge and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. While the pandemic brought many of its own unique challenges, an important takeaway that was highlighted during COVID-19 was that there are also longstanding, structural challenges to the…