ABSTRACT
Many communities in Appalachia continue to experience stagnant growth, high levels of poverty, unemployment, out-migration, and a resulting loss of population. The Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (CAEZ) was established to foster economic opportunity in Braxton, Clay, Fayette, Nicholas, and Roane counties in West Virginia. These counties are among the poorest in the state, and fostering economic growth is a major challenge for local policy-makers. Clay County is the only county that lies entirely within the CAEZ. Economic development indicators reveal a picture of a county with a stagnant economy.
