West Virginia's proposal to increase the state's minimum wage to $8.75 continues to work its way through the legislative process. We've looked before at the workers who would benefit from the increase, and we've also looked at how much it would cost the affected businesses. But now, let's take a closer look at businesses where are…
Income and Work
Today's Charleston Daily Mail includes an editorial in response to the EARN report on income inequality and our recommendation to raise the minimum wage as a tool to combat inequality. The Daily Mail contends that raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for two reasons: one, income inequality isn't all that bad because rich…
A new report from the Economic Analysis and Research Network takes a deep look at income inequality, by focusing on how the top 1 percent in each state have fared over 1917–2011. The report finds that not only is income inequality on the rise nationally, but each of the 50 states has experienced growing income inequality…
Over the last five years, firms with an economic interest in the expansion of drilling in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations — and their allies, supporters, and trade associations — have used a variety of tools and techniques to exaggerate the employment impacts of shale drilling. These strategies have ranged from the use of…
According to a relatively new report from the WVU Bureau of Business & Economic Research, the Mountain State is predicted to see average annual job growth of just one percent over the next five years. While many may see this as positive news for the state - especially given the recent economic recession and austerity at the…
More than 1 in 4 workers would be affected - many are full-time workers, the majority are women.
Unlike in the past, in today's economy, higher education is very important to finding a good paying job. Workers with higher levels of education have higher wages and lower unemployment rates, as do the states with more workers with higher education. One strategy to help low-income and long-term unemployed workers is through the creation of…
Last month, we released our State of Working West Virginia report, which looked at how workers in West Virginia are faring. Taking another perspective, the Center for American Progress released its State of Women in America report last week, which analyzes how women are faring in all 50 states. The report measures women's well-being in…
On April 14, 2013, the West Virginia House adopted HCR 107, expressing support for President Obama’s proposal to increase the minimum wage to $9.00 an hour and index it to inflation, in recognition of the decreasing value of the minimum wage and the idea that no one who works full-time should have to live…
Over Labor Day weekend, the Economic Policy Institute released a handy tool, based on their inequality.is project, that shows you how much you would be making today, if wages had kept up with productivity over that last three decades. After WWII, wages and productivity grew hand in hand. As workers produced more, they earned more.…