A recent study showed the repeal of Prevailing Wage laws in West Virginia negatively impacted the state’s construction workers and did not save taxpayers money.

The data in this study, conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and the Midwest Economic Policy Institute (MEPI), validated the conclusion reached by the School Building Authority of West Virginia in 2017 that the “repeal of West Virginia’s Prevailing Wage law has had no statistically significant effect on school construction costs.”

This new UMKC-MEPI study showed the loss of Prevailing Wage resulted in minimal wage
savings on new-build school projects, which were outweighed by change orders and poor craftsmanship. Continue reading →