Women's labor force participation rate in West Virginia has fallen over the past two decades but more are performing unpaid work, mostly as caregivers, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy,

Working women continue to earn less than men, at just under $20 an hour, compared to just over $23 an hour for men.

Sean O'Leary, senior policy analyst for the center, said just under half of West Virginia women are neither working nor looking for work. Most are performing the unpaid work that is the backbone of families and communities.

"If you at took the low wages that we pay child care workers in the state and apply that to those who aren't working but taking care of children at home, that's $1.6 billion of unpaid labor that's going on right now," O'Leary reported.

He argued lawmakers could help women by implementing a refundable state child care tax credit and increasing child care subsidies. Both would help boost household income and allow people the flexibility to increase their job prospects. At the current level of cost, infant care for just one child would take nearly 20% of the average West Virginia family's income.

O'Leary pointed out most women in the workforce still are not making enough to make ends meet. According to the report, 73% of West Virginia elementary school workers are women.

"Women have higher levels of educational attainment than men in the state, elementary and secondary education requires higher levels of education," O'Leary noted. "But they pay much, much lower wages."

The median hourly wage for women workers in the Mountain state ranks 45th in the country and translates into lower incomes and less economic security over a lifetime. Just under 26,000 West Virginia women, or 7.5%, are employed but also living in poverty, which is higher than the 5.2% poverty rate for working men.

People in Arizona who have completed a registered apprenticeship program could see an average of an almost 50% increase in earnings, according to a recent report by the Senate Joint Economic Committee.

Joann Bueno, director of the state apprenticeship program for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, said people in the Grand Canyon State who are in a registered apprenticeship program start off at a certain wage but are guaranteed increases throughout the duration of their program. Bueno pointed out registered apprenticeship programs provide paid employment, on-the-job training and continued learning, all with little to no school debt.

"It is a program that pretty much moves everyone forward," Bueno explained. "Whether it is upskilling them, giving them added knowledge to become more skilled, it is also launching them into a better career pathway and a quality of life."

Bueno noted she has spoken to many Arizonans who have completed registered apprenticeship programs who call it "transformative." While most apprenticeship participants are white and male, Bueno stressed Arizona is making progress when it comes to recruiting more women and people with disabilities.

Bueno emphasized the programs are aiming to fill jobs in manufacturing, construction, education and added the state is getting closer to developing programs to respond to the critical needs of the health care industry.

"Hopefully, we could get to Alabama status," Bueno said. "Alabama right now has recognized registered nursing apprenticeships as an alternative pathway to being a registered nurse and there is such a need for those."

Bueno observed Arizona universities and community colleges are "banding together" with industry to be able to get there. The department is also working to diversify the pathways for people to become teachers, hoping to reduce the shortage. The new apprenticeship program is scheduled to be up and running in a matter of months.

An annual report shows Minnesota now tops 62,000 clean-energy jobs, a new state record. Federal and state policies are fueling growth. However, project developers signal a need for a robust pipeline of workers. Clean Energy Economy Minnesota's latest summary says that in 2023, jobs tied to non-fossil fuel energy sources grew nearly five times faster than the state's overall economy.

Gregg Mast, Clean Energy Economy Minnesota executive director, credits the federal Inflation Reduction Act, as well as a state law requiring carbon-free electricity by 2040, for helping the sector move further past pandemic disruptions.

"The future looks very bright with jobs in the sector, and we expect to see these numbers grow by another 6% or more this year," he explained.

Industry leaders say solar, wind and similar projects also are doing a better job in providing strong wages and benefits to those hired to construct these systems. But some firms hope for more training opportunities so they can have enough engineers and other experts design projects in the development queue. While election outcomes could impact certain government incentives, advocates remain optimistic about future growth.

Andy Kim, president of EVS Engineering in the Twin Cities-area, which specializes in the solar-energy substation and battery-storage markets, said over the past decade, they've grown from about 35 staff members to nearly 200. The hard part is finding enough people to fill the accelerated pace of openings.

"It's an industry where people want to go," he said. "It's also an industry where our educational system doesn't have the track record of putting those people out because it's a new industry."

Roughly 40 colleges around the country now offer renewable-energy engineering degree programs. But Kim suggested that many more need to follow suit to meet future demand. Other institutions and technical schools are adding other courses tied to the clean-energy sector.

Arizona workers, retirees and small business owners say they'll be left to pick up the slack when the wealthy and big corporations don't pay their fair share in taxes. They argue that'll be the case if former President Donald Trump's 2017 tax code gets extended in 2025.

Linda Somo, president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, contends the tax code is not balanced and favors the rich. Workers in 2016 who made less than $114,000 a year saw no change in earnings, while top executive salaries increased , according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Somo added the issue needs to be revisited before it gets renewed in 2025. She was in D.C. last month and spoke to Arizona lawmakers.

"Once we have a new Congress in session, after January, they could start closing some loopholes, even if it's not the actual tax law," Soto explained. "There are some things they could do to tweak that law ahead of time."

Republicans argue the tax plan would lead to economic growth. In 2017, the Department of Treasury claimed the law would increase tax revenues by $1.8 trillion over ten years. But Somo said she views the tax code as something damaging to the middle class, and wants to see a more equitable tax code be considered.

Somo, a retired teacher, says a more just tax code would translate to better funding for public education, better access to health care and a stronger social net for all Americans.

"It really ticks me off when I think, 'OK, I pay 15% and someone who is a billionaire probably is paying a far less percent because they can take advantage of all kinds of loopholes,'" she continued.

Somo encouraged all Arizonans to get informed and voice their opinions on the tax code to their state legislators. She said if lawmakers are only hearing from those who can donate big money to their campaigns, they'll forget about those who are impacted the most.