Legislators have been told that West Virginia’s economic recovery has been strong. The inference is that normality is around the corner and almost back. The serious question is whether “back to normal” is adequate.
There are several matters of concern. First, there is the workforce participation rate. Economist John Deskins, at West Virginia University, said the state ranked last nationally in 2020, at 55%. Few would argue that this has changed significantly. Basically, the lower unemployment rate has become extremely misleading, since a huge number of West Virginians are not employable for several reasons, a main one being the high rate of substance abuse. Reviews of county judge dockets reveal that caseloads are jammed with “possession/intent to deliver” charges. Consequently, most potential workers do not even bother going to unemployment offices.
Another reason is education. In West Virginia, 25% of the population does not have a high school education. The pandemic slide and absenteeism caused major damage to educational attainment, as aptly noted by Hoppy Kercheval in a recent op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
The shortage of qualified teachers also is a major issue. Together, these pose a serious problem for producing a competitive and competent workforce in future years.
Furthermore, as noted in the Register-Herald, the number of low-income students enrolled in state colleges dropped 17%, or 13,000, over the past decade. Sean O’Leary, of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, stated that this further erodes “workforce preparedness as just 29% of West Virginians over the age of 25 hold an associate’s degree or higher.”
There also is the issue of health. Not only has COVID-19 taken the lives of over 6,100 West Virginians, but a high number of people also have other problems. Diabetes, obesity, lack of physical exercise, disabilities of various kinds and poor nutrition are prevalent conditions that affect workforce reliability and availability, ranking West Virginia 47th in health.
One cannot overlook deterioration in family life. Minimum wage below the poverty line offering part-time work is one thing, but the impact on family stability is another. Thousands of kids have inadequate shelter, child abuse and foster parent cases are prevalent, and the overload/staffing crisis with Child Protective Services is despicable.
The state administration has proudly announced new job creation opportunities, such as Nucor, Omnis Building Technologies, Rockwool Ranson and the West Virginia Hydrogen Hub. While good news, they all sit at state borders, thereby attracting workers who are ready from surrounding states to a great degree. The smaller plants once prevalent in the center of the state, such as Norris Industries, Caroll Shoe, Long Airdox, Bright of America, Kellwood Industries and other smaller employers that once ensured the survivability of local communities, are gone. Unfortunately, many West Virginians still live in these communities.
“Back to normal” is inadequate. What we need is a careful look at reality, to take action that makes a real long-term difference.
John David is a Gazette-Mail contributing columnist.
