Employment

What a State Celebrates Matters Show me what a state celebrates, and I will show you what a state values. For now, one would have to assume that revenue is the “highest good” for the state’s political leadership. On one level, this is understandable, but it’s important to recognize… Read More

West Virginia Should Become a Top State for Remote Workers In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, remote work is here to stay. In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 35% of men and 42% of women are working from home – either some or all days per… Read More

State Occupational Licensing Index Recently, our friends from the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation in partnership with the Archbridge Institute released their new State Occupational Licensing Index (SOLI). This publication builds on previously published indices by Cato Institute… Read More

West Virginia Employment Is Languishing Our unemployment rate of 4.9% is going down, but it’s still higher than our Appalachian neighbors. Our labor force participation rate is growing, but it’s still the lowest in the nation. While we’ve put in the hard work to achieve education reform and tax refo… Read More

West Virginia Tax Plan Includes Elimination of the Marriage Penalty The new income tax cut plan unveiled and then quickly passed by the West Virginia State Senate involves a number of changes to the state’s tax code. One change that was highly touted in the senate press conference was addressing… Read More

Reflections on the 2023 State of the State Address January 11th, 2023 West Virginia State of the State Address On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, slightly past 7pm, Gov. Jim Justice delivered what was, perhaps, the most optimistic and upbeat State of the State Address of the seven he has delivered… Read More

Occupational Licensure Stands in the Way of the Path to Prosperity The path to prosperity, for most people, starts with income. Income, collected and saved over time, is what lines the coffers of most financially secure people, regardless of what they may have converted it to over the… Read More

Occupational Licensing Reduces Mobility For those considering a move to West Virginia, there is little mobility between states when it comes to licensing requirements. Across the nation, nearly one in four workers require a professional license to perform their job. Occupational… Read More

A Conservative Mountaineer Budget for West Virginia:   While conservatively aligned politicians have more recently taken power in West Virginia, the state has a strong history of practicing responsible, conservative budgeting. Through these practices, the growth of state government has stayed w… Read More

Leaving Home Ten years ago, my family and I loaded up a small U-Haul truck and drove it to the DC suburbs. As I started graduate school at George Mason University, 21-year-old me was so excited for this new adventure.   As I caught a final glimpse of… Read More