Income and Work

November 16, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
New Study Finds Persistent Racial Disparities in West Virginia

WOWK, CBS FOX59 - A newly released report looks at racial disparities in West Virginia. Read the full article. The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy says they want to open up a conversation about it and develop a common way of thinking about race. According to their annual State of Working West Virginia…

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November 11, 2020 by WVCBP
ReImagine Appalachia Coalition Releases Post-Election Statement Calling on Government Leaders to Help Rebuild Region via Robust Climate Stimulus

For Immediate Release: November 11, 2020Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 In the wake of the announcement of final results in the 2020 presidential race, the directors of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign made the following statement on behalf of the coalition. Charleston, WV - Like most of us, the people living in the Ohio Valley want future generations to have…

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November 11, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia Has a Long Road Ahead to Full Recovery

We are now eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic that first started affecting West Virginia's economy in late March. Since then, the state has experienced huge drops in employment and revenue, followed by a much smaller bounce back, with an influx of federal aid providing a boost. So how has West Virginia fared so far?…

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November 9, 2020 by WVCBP
13th Annual State of Working West Virginia Report Highlights Persistent Racial Inequity Throughout the State, Presents Policy Solutions from WV Community Leaders

For Immediate Release: November 09, 2020Contact: Sean O'Leary, 304-400-8899 Charleston, WV - In the 1960s, Black Americans across the country marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of institutional racism and oppression came to a head. Now in 2020, over half a century later, extraordinarily high numbers of Americans of all backgrounds marched once again in protest…

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November 3, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
State of Working West Virginia 2020: The State of Racial Inequality

Foreword In 1967, Black Americans marched, protested, and even rioted as decades of systemic racism and oppression came to a head. In response, President Lyndon Johnson established the Kerner Commission, which spent the next year researching, holding hearings, and visiting communities to examine racial inequity in the country. In 1968, the Commission issued its report,…

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October 30, 2020 by WVCBP
In West Virginia, Obamacare is About More than Public Health. It’s a Matter of Economic Stability.

Mountain State Spotlight - In West Virginia, public health and economics are especially intertwined. Read the full article. Since the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) was enacted in 2010, the law has funded treatment for substance use disorders, expanded black lung benefits and  provided health insurance to 20 million Americans who were previously…

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October 27, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Five Scary Charts About West Virginia’s Recovery

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…

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October 15, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Recovery Grinds to a Halt in September

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,…

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September 22, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Job Recovery Remained Slow in August

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…

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