By Josephine E. Moore, The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — While the economy of the four-county New River Gorge region in southern West Virginia has been able to rebound from the most severe effect of the Covid pandemic, the key to future economic improvement rests in the hands of individuals being kept out of the workforce because of poor health and drug abuse, and a lack of education and training.
John Deskins, director of the Bureau of Business & Economic Research at West Virginia University, said as much during his economic outlook presentation Thursday at an economic summit at Historic Black Knight Municipal Park, sponsored by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.
“Education and training, poor health (and) drug abuse are keeping people out of the workforce,” Deskins said.
For much of his 45-minute presentation, Deskins made comparisons between the United States and West Virginia and between West Virginia and the New River Gorge region, which encompasses Raleigh, Fayette, Summers and Nicholas counties…