CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia continues to face one of the nation’s lowest workforce participation rates, creating a major challenge for employers looking to fill open jobs, according to leaders with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and an economist at West Virginia University.
John Deskins, director of the WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said the state has ranked near the bottom nationally for workforce participation for decades.
“West Virginia has been dead last or perhaps in 49th place for decades, since the 1970s, since these data became available at the state level,” Deskins said.
The chamber’s latest report also raised concerns about employment growth. Chamber President Steve Roberts said the state is seeing investment but has experienced a net decline in jobs, including in traditional industries such as coal and manufacturing.
At the same time, Roberts said employers continue to have openings, particularly in health care.
“Healthcare has probably thousands of openings,” Roberts said.
Deskins said the state’s older population contributes to lower workforce participation because more residents are at retirement age. But he said age alone does not explain the gap.
He said health, education and job training, drug abuse and access to child care also play a role.
“Our low rate of labor force participation, I think, is the biggest economic development challenge that we face in West Virginia,” Deskins said.
Roberts said businesses are increasingly focused on whether they can find enough workers with the skills needed to grow.
“If I can’t get anybody to make it, it doesn’t matter,” Roberts said.
The chamber said it is working with employers, educators and workers to identify industries with the most job openings and the skills needed to fill them. The chamber has previously identified the availability of qualified workers as a major economic concern for the state.