Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 11.03 Tourism and Development
Presentation #1 Title
Examining the Impact of the Great Recession on the Commuting Patterns of Workers in West Virginia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Great Recession (2007-2009) continues to effect workers in West Virginia. For many people throughout the state it has become increasingly difficult to not only find a job, but to be hired. People can face job searches that can extend for months, with little or no success. It is not well known, however, if an unfavorable economic climate has caused people to travel farther abroad for employment. This paper uses Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) for the period 2002-2011 from the U.S. Census to evaluate the impact of the Great Recession on the commuting patterns of workers in West Virginia. The analysis compares job inflows, job outflows, and work commute distances before and after the onset of the recession for the five largest cities in the state: Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Morgantown, and Wheeling. There is strong evidence for each city that the Great Recession has forced people to travel greater distances to work. The number of workers who live outside city limits have doubled for some cities, suggesting that their ability to find work close to home has been affected the most. Whether or not the role of each city as an employment magnet and labor supplier has changed is discussed.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Todd Sink is an adjunct faculty of geography at Concord University.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Dr. Brian Ceh is an assistant professor and chair of the geography department at Ryerson University.
Examining the Impact of the Great Recession on the Commuting Patterns of Workers in West Virginia
Corbly Hall 465
The Great Recession (2007-2009) continues to effect workers in West Virginia. For many people throughout the state it has become increasingly difficult to not only find a job, but to be hired. People can face job searches that can extend for months, with little or no success. It is not well known, however, if an unfavorable economic climate has caused people to travel farther abroad for employment. This paper uses Longitudinal Employer Household Dynamics Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) for the period 2002-2011 from the U.S. Census to evaluate the impact of the Great Recession on the commuting patterns of workers in West Virginia. The analysis compares job inflows, job outflows, and work commute distances before and after the onset of the recession for the five largest cities in the state: Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Morgantown, and Wheeling. There is strong evidence for each city that the Great Recession has forced people to travel greater distances to work. The number of workers who live outside city limits have doubled for some cities, suggesting that their ability to find work close to home has been affected the most. Whether or not the role of each city as an employment magnet and labor supplier has changed is discussed.
