The news last week from West Virginia University’s John Deskins wasn’t surprising, but it should raise the alarm for local officials on both sides of the Ohio River when it comes to economic growth: We’ve got to do better in getting local residents back to work.

During the 2023 Economic Outlook Conference sponsored by the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, Deskins, assistant dean and director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, said of our local counties, only Ohio County is projected to see economic growth over the next five years — and only at about 0.1%. Marshall, Belmont and Wetzel counties are projected to see their economies contract — Belmont County at about -0.35%.

The challenge for our region and frankly most of Appalachia is workforce participation. It’s hard to grow the economy when jobs go unfilled.

There are jobs here; that’s not the issue. Getting people to take them — and de-incentivizing options and programs that make it possible for folks not to work — has to be our first priority.

Anything less than that will lead to continued economic stagnation.