West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The Senate passed a bill that would reduce overall unemployment benefits but increase initial benefits. Read the full article. Senate Bills 840 and 841 would have steeply cut unemployment benefits. Those bills were combined and amended to substantially reduce the change to the state’s unemployment benefits. The engrossed bill that passed the Senate shaves two weeks…
Income and Work
Overview During the 2024 legislative session, the West Virginia Senate introduced bills that would make major changes to the state’s unemployment insurance system, to the detriment of workers. These changes include dramatically reducing the number of weeks of unemployment benefits available to the state’s unemployed workers. SB 840, would tie the maximum weeks of eligibility…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - The Senate advanced two bills Monday that would lower unemployment benefits for out of work West Virginians. Read the full article. Currently people can receive 26 weeks of benefits, and a maximum weekly benefit of $624 if they lose their job through no fault of their own; meaning they were…
Mountain State Spotlight, Fayette Tribune - As senators began to consider a pair of bills that would cut West Virginia’s unemployment insurance benefits on Monday, Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, rose to voice his concerns. Read the full article. Within the past two weeks, two large manufacturers — Allegheny Wood Products and Cleveland-Cliffs — had announced plans to lay off hundreds of…
Mountain State Spotlight - West Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with a bill eliminating work permits for 14 and 15-year olds, despite concerns about what the change will mean for minors. Read the full article. The House of Delegates voted 83-16 Tuesday to pass HB 5159, legislation that would eliminate youth work permits. These documents currently…
Unemployment insurance is an earned benefit that provides income support to workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Unemployment insurance helps families avoid economic shocks as the person who lost their job transitions to new work, and it helps sustain consumer demand during economic downturns. Read the full fact sheet…
Spirit of Jefferson - According to the Census Bureau’s official poverty estimates, West Virginia saw its child poverty rate increase from 20.7 percent to 25.0 percent between 2021 and 2022, the only state to see an increase by the official measure (along with Puerto Rico). In 2022, West Virginia’s child poverty rate was the second…
For Immediate Release: September 27, 2023 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 Charleston, WV – Each year the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy releases its annual State of Working West Virginia report, which examines West Virginia's economy through the lens of its workers— the people who power our state and our economy. While each year's report has a slightly different…
This report is the 16th edition of the State of Working West Virginia, an annual series that examines the state of West Virginia’s economy through the lens of its workers—the people who power our state and our economy. Previous editions have examined data on employment, income, racial disparities, job quality, and the past decade’s economic…
WOWK - On this week’s episode of Inside West Virginia Politics, we talk about the West Virginia Treasurer candidacy, child poverty, Habitat for Humanity and healthcare. Watch the full segment. In Segment One, we talk to Steven Schetrom (R-Candidate for WV Treasurer) about his candidacy. In Segment Two, we talk to Sean O’Leary, West Virginia…