West Virginia MetroNews - Gov. Jim Justice announced today that the administration paid off the final $185 million on an interest-free federal loan that had been used as cushion for the state’s unemployment trust fund. Read the full article. The administration had set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in CARES Act funding in anticipation of paying…
Income and Work
Jackson Newspapers - A "help wanted" sign has lived in the Downtowner's front window for a year. Before the COVID pandemic began, the restaurant had seven employees. Now it has four. Two, not including the owners. Read the full article. Dave and Melissa took over the restaurant nine years ago. The American homestyle restaurant survived the…
WV News - Advocates and community members gathered at Krepps Park Pavilion in Morgantown on Monday to discuss the need for a federal policy to ensure that all workers have access to paid family and medical leave for the care of a new child, one’s own illness, or caregiving responsibilities for a seriously ill family…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - In his 27 years as an underground coal miner in West Virginia, Gary Hairston noticed that it took some backup to breathe easier. Read the full article. “There was a lot better protection in a union mine,” Hairston recalled. “The union backs you.” Hairston found that a union representative would investigate miners’…
Dominion Post, Yahoo News - A group of people braved Monday's rain and mugginess to gather at the Kreps Park Pavilion for a "Picnic for Paid Leave." Read the full article. It was the final picnic of several held around the state to rally support for paid family leave legislation Congress will be considering in…
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…
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…