Income and Work

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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July 21, 2020 by WVCBP
Plan To ‘Reimagine Appalachia’ Touts Jobs, Justice and Sustainability For The Ohio Valley

West Virginia Public Broadcast, Ohio Valley Resource - A coalition of progressive policy and environmental groups has released a “blueprint” that provides a framework for how Ohio Valley communities could reap the benefits of federal action to address climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Read full article here. The plan, titled “Reimagine Appalachia” envisions a future economy for…

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July 15, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
The RECLAIM Act and Social Determinants of Health

Recently, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The bill is a comprehensive infrastructure package that includes public money for broadband, water systems, renewable energy investments, and two critical components that would support well-paying jobs and the revitalization of coalfield communities across the country-- the RECLAIM Act and the reauthorization of the…

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July 9, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
How to Best Use West Virginia’s $1.25 Billion in CARES Act Funding

Last month, Governor Justice unveiled his plan for using the $1.25 billion in CARES Act funding that West Virginia received to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Treasury Department guidance forbids states from using the funds to offset revenue losses due to the pandemic, limiting what states can do with the funding. This…

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July 1, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Government Job Losses Are Weakening West Virginia’s Recovery

West Virginia added 13,300 jobs in May, welcome news after losing 92,000 jobs in April as the state struggled with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as food service, health care, and other private sector jobs saw modest gains after April's massive losses, state and local government jobs continued to decline, partially offsetting…

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