A new report explored ways to reconnect residents of the Appalachian region to employment opportunities.

The report dug into the many barriers to employment Appalachian adults face and identified ways to build career pathways for workers.

Stephen Herzenberg, executive director of the Keystone Research Center and the report's co-author, said it provides some new data on people ages 25 to 54 in the four-state region, including Pennsylvania. He argued the report makes the case for the Keystone State to implement a new national program which would create subsidized employment to boost income and improve quality of life for Appalachian adults.

"By our estimates, a couple hundred thousand folks are disconnected from the workforce," Herzenberg reported. "We need to create a mechanism by which to get them jobs that allow them to support their family, create opportunities for them to move into better jobs over time."

Herzenberg noted the report from the Ohio River Valley Institute highlighted the critical need for more jobs in coal country, where employment has been lost in fossil-fuel extraction, manufacturing and steel.

Herzenberg emphasized it is important for the Keystone State and coal-country Appalachia to target a portion of hiring for government-funded climate and infrastructure projects to long-term unemployed workers, and to women and people of color. He stressed they have often been left out of good jobs on construction and infrastructure work.

"What we can do is use the already existing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, use the subsidies for infrastructure and clean energy, and sustainable manufacturing," Herzenberg suggested. "Use that money to make sure that disconnected folks get a fraction of those jobs."

The report found the labor force participation rate for prime-age men has been declining, especially in coal-country Appalachia. Herzenberg reported nationally, 17 out of every 100 prime-age men are not working, and the unemployment results vary for the four Appalachian states.

"In Appalachian Kentucky, twice as big a share of prime-age men are not employed, 34 out of every 100," Herzenberg noted. "In West Virginia, the number is 27, in Appalachian Ohio it's 23, and in Pennsylvania, it's 19."

Herzenberg pointed out if prime-age people in the Appalachian parts of the four states were employed at the same rate as the nation, an estimated 206,000 more people would be working, earning more than $6.4 billion more in wages annually.

Minnesota is moving closer to ensure all workers are eligible for the state's minimum wage of $10.85 an hour.

The Legislature has been taking action on a labor policy bill which includes a provision to essentially do away with minimum-wage carveouts. If passed, certain groups of workers, such as those hired by small businesses and employees 18 and younger, would no longer have to settle for the lower wage of $8.85 an hour.

Sen. Jennifer McEwen, DFL-Duluth, defended the changes during a Senate floor debate.

"Our businesses in Minnesota are prepared to have a good quality of life for the people in their businesses," McEwen stated.

Republican senators argued the state is creating a burdensome environment for small businesses. The provision in a larger bill also raises the cap on annual wage adjustments tied to inflation from 2.5% to 5%. The omnibus bill cleared its final legislative hurdle Wednesday and now goes to the governor.

Some GOP senators said they acknowledged higher consumer costs are making life hard for low-wage workers.

Sen. Gene Dornink, R-Brownsdale, worried about the tone being set for small businesses.

"Unfortunately, some of the mandates that we've continued to pass over these last few years have made it so businesses are getting discouraged," Dornink contended.

Democrats countered their approach is not about mandates but rather boosting the dignity of workers propping up the state's economy. As for other provisions within the labor bill, there are new requirements for salary transparency in job postings, as well as child labor protections.


get more stories like this via email

North Dakota is in the top half of states for average weekly grocery bills and a new national report detailed how consumer debt is bridging the gap for households having a hard time covering food expenses.

Policy experts said grocery price increases have outpaced overall inflation. Findings from the Urban Institute showed in 2023, 60% of adults reported their families used credit cards to buy groceries and 7% were not able to make minimum monthly payments on the charges. Nearly one in five dipped into savings to maintain their food supplies.

Kassandra Martinchek, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, said the report reflects the financial strain some people are feeling.

"Some families are really struggling to even meet their basic needs and are taking riskier financial strategies that could leave them less capable to cope with a future financial shot," Martinchek observed. "Something like losing their job."

For those taking advantage of Buy Now, Pay Later options for groceries, 37% reported missing payments on loans. A separate report earlier this year found North Dakota is just below the national average for grocery expenses. However, it is still 23rd highest in the nation, sitting above neighboring states.

Even if food prices start to come down, Martinchek emphasized missed debt payments during the price hikes could have lasting effects.

"They could have constrained access to affordable credit options and struggle to take advantage of different wealth building opportunities," Martinchek explained.

She added it is especially the case for historically disadvantaged households. The report suggested policymakers strengthen social safety nets to help these families as pandemic aid expires. But increasing payments under programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program might be hard in a divided Congress. Another recommendation called for bolstering credit counseling and debt management services.


get more stories like this via email

It's graduation season, and in Minnesota, it's not just high schools and universities sending off waves of students. Organizers say they're seeing a lot of people complete apprenticeship training for careers in the construction trades.

Building Strong Communities is a statewide apprenticeship program that prepares future construction workers over a 12-week period. At its spring graduation at North Hennepin Community College, 105 men and women received their certificates.

Rick Martagon, executive director of Building Strong Communities, said that's up 41% from last year, which coincides with a growth in a more diverse group of apprentices, including older students.

"And a lot of people are making a career change as adults who have been in the workforce for quite a while. And they're interested in doing something else, and they look at the opportunities within the building construction trades and are making that change," he explained.

He thinks there's been a more intentional effort to recruit the next generation of workers in the trades, who might have concerns that the work is harder or not as lucrative as technology jobs. Martagon said starting wages are strong and earned credentials can be used all over the country. National forecasts show an overwhelming need for skilled trade workers with the renewed push for housing construction.

Analysts say the industry needs to move even faster with recruitment, as many construction workers retire. Martagon says the good news is, demand is strong for solid-paying jobs, making their outreach a little easier.

"We're in a good place right now as we see growth in retirements and a good economy, investment in infrastructure," Martagon continued.

Federal programs, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, are spurring projects, including construction related to clean energy. Building Strong Communities is supported by unions around Minnesota and state grants. Leaders say a strong component is that it starts with virtual classes before hands-on training, and participants are given a true sense of what it's like to perform this work - helping them decide whether to continue.


get more stories like this via email