There's been considerable press over the last couple of years about the costs associated with the retiree health care subsidy (affectionately know as OPEB or Other Post Employment Benefits) offered to state and local employees. I've written about it several times in the past. The basic story is that this subsidy is too generous and…
Income and Work
Here is an article done by the folks at the Center for Rural Strategies, which I may have stolen the title from, about the impact of the Great Recession on rural counties. West Virginia was one of four states, the others being Michigan, Alabama, and Georgia, that lost over 10 percent of their rural jobs. Since July…
Ted pointed out that West Virginia's employment level is at its lowest point in 14 years. A closer look shows that West Virginia's employment situation has been pretty bad for decades. One measure of how well a state or region provides employment is the employment-to-population ratio or employment rate. This ratio is the number of…
According to a recent study by the Center for American Progress , new federal funds from the recent health care legislation should create nearly 5,000 new jobs in West Virginia, thanks to significant investment in community health centers. The Affordable Care Act will provide $11 billion nationwide to build new community health centers and improve existing ones. Most…
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a statement that shows total nonfarm payroll employment declining by 131,000 in July 2010, and the unemployment rate remaining unchanged at 9.5 percent. The decline in employment is the result of federal government census workers wrapping up their work. However, a bright spot in the report exists as private-sector…
After dodging the early months of the national recession, West Virginia workers experienced its full force during 2009, according to a new report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. In addition to information on how workers are faring in the Mountain State, the report outlines policy options that would further economic recovery.…
One in four West Virginians is expected to fall into poverty during the current recession, according to a new report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. The number of state children living in poverty is predicted to increase by more than a third. Read
More than 6,100 jobless workers in West Virginia will run out of unemployment benefits by the end of 2009. West Virginia could provide additional help to these workers under provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. States with high unemployment rates may provide up to 20 more weeks of Extended Benefits, fully paid by…
Recent research by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy examined a promising approach for reducing the retirement gap among workers in the Mountain State. Read
The number of unemployed West Virginians has swelled by more than 10,000 over the past year, and the pace of job loss is accelerating. This poses significant challenges to the solvency of the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Read