As more West Virginians became vaccinated, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) supported the economy, West Virginia began to see strong improvements in 2021. But new COVID variants threatened the recovery, and the impact of the ARP has begun to fade. And the depth of the downturn means that West Virginia still has a long…
Income and Work
With tens of thousands of West Virginians losing their jobs and filing for unemployment insurance benefits as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts the economy, there is renewed interest in "work sharing" programs. Work sharing gives businesses the option of reducing the hours and wages of their employees instead of laying them off. Workers with reduced wages…
On Monday, the WV Senate narrowly passed Senate Bill 528, which would make it easier for corporations in West Virginia to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. This bill, based on model legislation prepared by ALEC, is similar, but far more expansive, than a house bill that passed out of House Industry and Labor…
Too often, West Virginians are forced to choose between financial/job security and taking care of themselves, a new child, or a seriously ill family member. Recognizing these problems, legislators have introduced three strong bills this session to provide paid family and medical leave (PFML). PFML policies help families achieve financial security, strengthen businesses and the public-sector,…
Two weeks ago, the House Industry and Labor committee passed out HB 4104 that would make it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors when it comes to Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation eligibility. A similar bill passed the House last year, but died in the Senate. The determination of whether a worker…
This report was written by Michele Evermore, Senior Policy Analyst with the National Employment Law Center (NELP) While the US economy is flashing signs of a potential economic downturn in the future, West Virginia’s unemployment insurance system is in a precarious situation that needs immediate attention. Unemployment Insurance (UI) is more than just a lifeline…
West Virginia’s immigrants come from all over the world and while a small share of the populations, they are broadly represented throughout the state’s workforce and economy. Read PDF of report. But a fuller conversation about immigrants tends to be overshadowed by the controversy in the U.S. around immigration reform. This conversation all too often…
The Labor Department released state unemployment and job figures for October today that show there has been no statistically significant increase in jobs over the last year in West Virginia. According to preliminary figures, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in October was 4.8% and payroll employment stood at 733,100, an increase of 3,200 from October…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Recently, residents of the Kanawha Valley have heard a great deal from elected officials about the success of the sports complex at Shawnee Park and the remodeling of the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. The conversations about these two projects always find their way back to the same term: economic development. Read op-ed.…
The Weston Democrat - When we first started talking about the unusually high number of women in leadership roles compared to other counties, one topic was how to narrow the list down to a manageable amount to cover. We focused on women in Lewis County who are elected officials or work for a government entity, in…