State of Working X

Similar to the Economic Policy Institute’s State of Working America, the State of Working XX (SWXX) is a series of reports produced by state EARN groups describing the economic conditions for working families in their state. SWXX reports provide a comprehensive description of state economic conditions, often with a focus on labor market conditions. SWXX reports provide data and analysis on job growth, unemployment, wages, incomes, poverty rates, taxes, wealth, immigration, and other issue areas relevant to current state economic conditions and policy discussions. Many SWXX reports also include tailored and timely policy recommendations for strengthening economic conditions for workers in each state.

Publications

State of Working Vermont 2015

Vermont’s economy began to grow again after the recession, but has since cooled off. Even before the recession, real economic growth was slow. And figures released in December 2015 show
that Vermont’s gross state product—the value of goods and services produced in the state—was essentially the same in 2014 as it was in 2011, after adjusting for inflation.

Vermont’s labor market also faced challenges. Although employers finally replaced all of the jobs lost in the Great Recession, total employment in 2014—which counts farm and nonfarm workers as well as the self-employed—lingered below the 2006 peak and fell for the third year in a row. And while Vermont had the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the country, many Vermonters were underemployed or had given up looking for work.

Among the states, Vermont had the 14th highest percentage of working-age population in the labor force—either working or actively looking for a job. But there were fewer younger people in the labor force, due primarily to a smaller number of 35-to-54-year-olds in the population than prior to the recession. The labor force was more balanced by gender than in other states. However, unemployment for men remained higher than for women.

State of Working West Virginia 2015

This report is the eighth in an annual series that examines the state of West Virginia’s economy. While previous editions examined data on employment, income, productivity, job quality and other aspects of the economy as they impact working people, this issue is an in-depth look at one specific economic measure – West Virginia’s labor force participation rate. Read PDF.

The labor force participation rate (LFPR) is the measure of people 16 years or older either working or seeking work, expressed as a share of the adult population. Labor force participation is a complementary measure of labor market conditions to the conventional unemployment rate. The LFPR captures the share of the total adult population that is available to work, whereas the unemployment rate captures the share of the labor force that is unable to obtain employment at a given point in time. Labor force participation varies across demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and race, and can be affected by numerous economic characteristics and public policies. A healthy LFPR is a key driver of a society’s economic output per capita and overall standard of living in the long run.

State of Working Montana 2010

The State of Working Montana series explores the state of Montana’s economy from the perspective of its workers and documents how they are faring. In every report in this series, our analysis goes beyond the top-level indicators that many use to evaluate the Montana economy. Instead, we focus on what matters to people who live and work in Montana.