The Times West Virginian

West Virginia

September 1, 2012

Think tank sizes up W.Va. employment

Associated Press

CHARLESTON — A report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy concludes the state lost 21,300 jobs during the Great Recession.

And the think tank says West Virginia would have to add 27,000 jobs to regain its pre-recession employment rate.

The findings are contained in the report “The State of Working West Virginia 2012,” published Saturday.

According to the report, the typical worker in West Virginian makes more than $1 per hour less than the national average and barely half of the workers in the state receive employer-provided health insurance.

Among other things, the center recommends expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage and creating a plan for the anticipated decline of coal. Other recommendations include adopting a work-sharing program, repairing state infrastructure and restoring cuts to child care assistance.

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