While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in West Virginia using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in West Virginia.
#55. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,098 people (985 unemployed)
#54. Hampshire County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,154 people (390 unemployed)
#53. Tucker County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,591 people (133 unemployed)
#52. Monongalia County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,201 people (2,093 unemployed)
#51. Pendleton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,787 people (148 unemployed)
#50. Monroe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,093 people (245 unemployed)
#49. Morgan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,493 people (342 unemployed)
#48. Putnam County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,047 people (1,097 unemployed)
#47. Berkeley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 57,715 people (2,367 unemployed)
#46. Doddridge County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,727 people (155 unemployed)
#45. Harrison County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 34,859 people (1,471 unemployed)
#44. Taylor County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,992 people (360 unemployed)
#43. Ohio County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,956 people (904 unemployed)
#42. Cabell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,640 people (1,858 unemployed)
#41. Kanawha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 81,718 people (3,645 unemployed)
#40. Raleigh County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,879 people (1,368 unemployed)
#39. Marion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,092 people (1,175 unemployed)
#38. Grant County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,086 people (293 unemployed)
#37. Greenbrier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,871 people (712 unemployed)
#36. Preston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,407 people (735 unemployed)
#35. Pocahontas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,903 people (192 unemployed)
#34. Summers County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,444 people (224 unemployed)
#33. Mineral County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,194 people (615 unemployed)
#32. Wood County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,519 people (1,886 unemployed)
#31. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,906 people (635 unemployed)
#30. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,728 people (838 unemployed)
#29. Wyoming County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,226 people (388 unemployed)
#28. Boone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,255 people (391 unemployed)
#27. Mason County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,351 people (561 unemployed)
#26. Logan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,807 people (592 unemployed)
#25. Mercer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,935 people (1,180 unemployed)
#24. Hardy County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,838 people (334 unemployed)
#23. Barbour County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,034 people (403 unemployed)
#22. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,069 people (404 unemployed)
#21. Fayette County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,862 people (899 unemployed)
#20. Brooke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,565 people (562 unemployed)
#19. Lewis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,179 people (370 unemployed)
#18. Upshur County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,035 people (605 unemployed)
#17. Randolph County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,735 people (705 unemployed)
#16. Marshall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,166 people (794 unemployed)
#15. Nicholas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,073 people (566 unemployed)
#14. Ritchie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,832 people (245 unemployed)
#13. Hancock County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,677 people (817 unemployed)
#12. Mingo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,571 people (432 unemployed)
#11. Braxton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,051 people (349 unemployed)
#10. Tyler County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,932 people (214 unemployed)
#9. Gilmer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,320 people (174 unemployed)
#8. Pleasants County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,642 people (202 unemployed)
#7. Wetzel County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,547 people (495 unemployed)
#6. McDowell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,990 people (307 unemployed)
#5. Wirt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,269 people (176 unemployed)
#4. Roane County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,088 people (418 unemployed)
#3. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,082 people (261 unemployed)
#2. Webster County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,027 people (265 unemployed)
#1. Calhoun County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 3.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,491 people (301 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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