Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in West Virginia using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
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#55. Pendleton County
- Current unemployment rate: 1.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 3,852 (74 unemployed)
2 / 55
#54. Jefferson County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 30,962 (649 unemployed)
3 / 55
#53. Hampshire County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,328 (245 unemployed)
4 / 55
#52. Monroe County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 6,305 (141 unemployed)
6 / 55
#50. Berkeley County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 60,905 (1,488 unemployed)
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#49. Doddridge County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 3,818 (93 unemployed)
8 / 55
#48. Pocahontas County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 4,311 (104 unemployed)
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#47. Monongalia County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 57,712 (1,485 unemployed)
10 / 55
#46. Putnam County
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#45. Summers County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 4,588 (126 unemployed)
12 / 55
#44. Grant County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 6,021 (168 unemployed)
13 / 55
#43. Greenbrier County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 15,789 (461 unemployed)
14 / 55
#42. Hardy County
- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 5,912 (173 unemployed)
15 / 55
#41. Cabell County
16 / 55
#40. Harrison County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 33,252 (986 unemployed)
17 / 55
#39. Mineral County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 12,207 (362 unemployed)
18 / 55
#38. Preston County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 16,239 (486 unemployed)
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#37. Raleigh County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 30,540 (903 unemployed)
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#35. Kanawha County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 80,708 (2,577 unemployed)
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#34. Ohio County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 20,406 (649 unemployed)
23 / 55
#33. Taylor County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 7,858 (250 unemployed)
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#32. Wood County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 37,030 (1,218 unemployed)
25 / 55
#31. Jackson County
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#30. Ritchie County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,280 (144 unemployed)
27 / 55
#29. Tucker County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 3,354 (113 unemployed)
28 / 55
#28. Marion County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 25,076 (914 unemployed)
29 / 55
#27. Mason County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 10,009 (362 unemployed)
30 / 55
#26. Wyoming County
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#25. Barbour County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,237 (267 unemployed)
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#24. Mercer County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 21,078 (777 unemployed)
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#23. Randolph County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,814 (442 unemployed)
34 / 55
#22. Boone County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 7,143 (274 unemployed)
35 / 55
#21. Fayette County
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#20. Nicholas County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 9,150 (344 unemployed)
37 / 55
#19. Webster County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 3,349 (128 unemployed)
38 / 55
#18. Brooke County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 9,901 (397 unemployed)
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#17. Gilmer County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -2.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,334 (93 unemployed)
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#16. Marshall County
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#15. Upshur County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 9,733 (388 unemployed)
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#14. Logan County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 10,953 (451 unemployed)
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#13. Lincoln County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 7,005 (297 unemployed)
44 / 55
#12. Wetzel County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 6,778 (294 unemployed)
45 / 55
#11. Pleasants County
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#10. Lewis County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 6,028 (270 unemployed)
47 / 55
#9. Hancock County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 13,072 (606 unemployed)
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#8. Braxton County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 5,004 (238 unemployed)
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#7. Wirt County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,300 (110 unemployed)
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#5. Roane County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -2.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 4,933 (242 unemployed)
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#4. Tyler County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.1%
--- 1 month change: -2.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 2,961 (150 unemployed)
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#3. McDowell County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
--- 1 month change: -2.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 4,274 (232 unemployed)
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#2. Mingo County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
--- 1 month change: -2.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 6,304 (341 unemployed)
55 / 55
#1. Calhoun County
