Diversified economy still needed in W.Va.
An editorial opinion from The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, W.Va.:
There are some good things about declining population.
Shorter lines at restaurants on Friday night and less congestion on Interstate 64, come to mind, but it is a short list.
Generally, the 2016 Census estimate that shows West Virginia has lost population for the fourth year in a row is bad news with a capital B. It also puts an exclamation point on the big challenge facing Gov.-elect Jim Justice and the state’s legislative leadership in the coming years growing the Mountain State’s economy and job opportunities, especially for young people.
West Virginia was one only a handful of states that lost population between 2015 and 2016. Since the 2010 Census, the state has lost 23,000 people, about a 1.2 percent loss. The only other states that have posted a decline over the decade are Illinois, Connecticut and Vermont, and West Virginia’s was by far the sharpest.
States gain or lose population in two ways, demographers say. The first is “natural” growth or the number of children born compared to the number of people who die. The second is migration or the number of people who move in versus the number who move out.
Sadly, West Virginia in recent years has been losing ground on both fronts.
Deaths outnumber births, and those leaving outnumber those coming in.
So, strategies to help young West Virginians build careers and families in the state need to be a top priority for state leaders. That should include better preparing students and young workers for the job opportunities already available in the state.
Creating the best possible climate for entrepreneurs and startup businesses should be another important goal. With his business background, Justice should be the man for that job.
The recent population losses are really nothing new. For almost a century, the state’s population has gained or lost on the ups and downs of the coal industry. But the net result is that West Virginia is the only state that has less population than it had in 1950.
Efforts to stabilize coal industry employment are critical, but that will not be enough. State leaders need to nurture a truly diversified economy to create a different future for West Virginia.