Counties with the highest unemployment rate in West Virginia
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.
#55. Pendleton County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 3,852 (74 unemployed)
#54. Jefferson County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 30,962 (649 unemployed)
#53. Hampshire County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,328 (245 unemployed)
#52. Monroe County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 6,305 (141 unemployed)
#51. Morgan County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 8,708 (194 unemployed)
#50. Berkeley County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 60,905 (1,488 unemployed)
#49. Doddridge County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 3,818 (93 unemployed)
#48. Pocahontas County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 4,311 (104 unemployed)
#47. Monongalia County
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 57,712 (1,485 unemployed)
#46. Putnam County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 26,848 (692 unemployed)
#45. Summers County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 4,588 (126 unemployed)
#44. Grant County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 6,021 (168 unemployed)
#43. Greenbrier County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 15,789 (461 unemployed)
#42. Hardy County
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 5,912 (173 unemployed)
#41. Cabell County
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 41,295 (1,241 unemployed)
#40. Harrison County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 33,252 (986 unemployed)
#39. Mineral County
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 12,207 (362 unemployed)
#38. Preston County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 16,239 (486 unemployed)
#37. Raleigh County
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 30,540 (903 unemployed)
#36. Wayne County
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 15,466 (485 unemployed)
#35. Kanawha County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 80,708 (2,577 unemployed)
#34. Ohio County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 20,406 (649 unemployed)
#33. Taylor County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 7,858 (250 unemployed)
#32. Wood County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 37,030 (1,218 unemployed)
#31. Jackson County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 11,955 (411 unemployed)
#30. Ritchie County
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,280 (144 unemployed)
#29. Tucker County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 3,354 (113 unemployed)
#28. Marion County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 25,076 (914 unemployed)
#27. Mason County
--- 1 month change: -1.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 10,009 (362 unemployed)
#26. Wyoming County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 7,348 (267 unemployed)
#25. Barbour County
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,237 (267 unemployed)
#24. Mercer County
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 21,078 (777 unemployed)
#23. Randolph County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,814 (442 unemployed)
#22. Boone County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 7,143 (274 unemployed)
#21. Fayette County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 16,208 (622 unemployed)
#20. Nicholas County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 9,150 (344 unemployed)
#19. Webster County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 3,349 (128 unemployed)
#18. Brooke County
--- 1 month change: -1.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 9,901 (397 unemployed)
#17. Gilmer County
--- 1 month change: -2.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,334 (93 unemployed)
#16. Marshall County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 13,364 (528 unemployed)
#15. Upshur County
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 9,733 (388 unemployed)
#14. Logan County
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 10,953 (451 unemployed)
#13. Lincoln County
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 7,005 (297 unemployed)
#12. Wetzel County
--- 1 month change: -1.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 6,778 (294 unemployed)
#11. Pleasants County
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 2,729 (121 unemployed)
#10. Lewis County
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 6,028 (270 unemployed)
#9. Hancock County
--- 1 month change: -1.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 13,072 (606 unemployed)
#8. Braxton County
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 5,004 (238 unemployed)
#7. Wirt County
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,300 (110 unemployed)
#6. Clay County
--- 1 month change: -1.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,995 (148 unemployed)
#5. Roane County
--- 1 month change: -2.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 4,933 (242 unemployed)
#4. Tyler County
--- 1 month change: -2.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 2,961 (150 unemployed)
#3. McDowell County
--- 1 month change: -2.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 4,274 (232 unemployed)
#2. Mingo County
--- 1 month change: -2.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 6,304 (341 unemployed)
#1. Calhoun County
--- 1 month change: -2.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 2,575 (153 unemployed)