Income and Work

February 26, 2024 by Kelly Allen
Bill That Greatly Reduces Unemployment Benefits Advances

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…

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February 26, 2024 by WVCBP
As West Virginia Workers Reel from Looming Layoffs, Lawmakers Move to Cut Unemployment Benefits

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…

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February 20, 2024 by WVCBP
West Virginia House Passes Bill Eliminating Youth Work Permits

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…

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October 4, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
A Deeper Look at West Virginia’s 2022 Poverty Data

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…

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September 27, 2023 by WVCBP
New Report Looks at the State of West Virginia’s Unemployed and Those Outside the Workforce

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…

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September 23, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia has Highest Rate of Child Poverty in the US

WOWK - West Virginia has the highest rate of child poverty of any state in the nation, and the problem is getting worse before it gets better. Read the full article. In West Virginia, 25% of children live in poverty, this is a 21% jump from 2022. This means that 86,000 children in West Virginia…

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September 18, 2023 by Sean O'Leary
New Census Data Shows a Quarter of WV Kids Were Living in Poverty in 2022

West Virginia Watch, Hampshire Review - One in four children in West Virginia were living in poverty in 2022, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week. Read the full article. West Virginia was the only state in the nation to see its rate of child poverty increase from 2021, according…

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