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…
Income and Work
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…
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…
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…
For Immediate Release: September 14, 2023 Contact: Kelly Allen, 304-612-4180 Charleston, WV – Nationally, the overall poverty rate and child poverty rate rose by the largest amount on record in more than 50 years, according to new US Census data released this week. The data also reveal that too many West Virginians—17.3 percent, or 308,825 residents, lived in…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting - More than 12 percent of Americans, or 42 million people, need help getting enough food to eat. Listen to the full Us & Them podcast episode. In West Virginia, that number is about 18 percent. That help comes from a federal program called SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,…
The latest State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed West Virginia had the highest job openings rate in the country, at 9.2 percent and with 71,000 job openings. While there has been much discussion about legislation to cut unemployment benefits in an attempt to "get people back…
Charleston Gazette-Mail - Benefits for unemployed people in West Virginia could soon be changing. On this Outside the Echo Chamber, we talk with two Senators about a bill that was just passed, and get opinions from the WV Center on Budget and Policy, and from a lobbyist who advocated for the bill. Listen to the…
Beckley Register-Herald - The length of time people can receive unemployment benefits in West Virginia would decrease under a bill that advanced through the Senate Monday. Read the full article. The legislation, SB 59, would cap unemployment benefits – currently a maximum of 26 weeks – at 12 weeks of benefits if the unemployment rate…
WSAZ - Twenty-Six weeks of unemployment could soon be a thing of the past in West Virginia. Read the full article. The state Senate is advancing a proposal to adjust the number of weeks based on the state’s unemployment rate -- up to 20 weeks if unemployment hits or exceeds 9% and just 12 weeks…