How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
West Virginia gained 1,300 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 35th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 812 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+1.3K

month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)

35th

rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
West Virginia’s job gain of 1,300 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 100 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), West Virginia gained jobs in 37 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the 23rd-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in May 2024 (+9,700) while job growth was weakest in June 2022 (-10,700).

There were 1,300 more jobs in January 2026 in West Virginia than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which West Virginia sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were construction, retail trade, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Construction added 2,100 jobs, more than the entire economy. Retail trade gained 300 jobs, while professional, scientific, and technical services added 200. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

The health care and social assistance sector gained zero jobs during January 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in West Virginia (January 2026)

How does West Virginia's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has lost an average of 192 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 117, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as eighth-lowest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 125,000 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 108,333 on average every month in 2011.

In 2025, West Virginia lost an average of 192 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among six metro areas at least partially in West Virginia during January 2026 ranged from a loss of 300 jobs in the Morgantown, WV area to a gain of 400 jobs in the Charleston, WV area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within West Virginia

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.