How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated May. 22, 2026Refreshed monthly
West Virginia gained 1,300 jobs in April 2026, ranking it 33rd 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 683 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 (April 2026)

33rd

rank among states in monthly job growth (April 2026)
April 2026's gain of 1,300 jobs was the second consecutive month of positive job growth in West Virginia. Monthly job growth was up from the 900 new jobs in March 2026.
During the latest five year period (May 2021 to April 2026), West Virginia gained jobs in 37 out of 60 months. April 2026 had the 22nd-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 April 2026 in West Virginia than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, May 2021–April 2026, seasonally adjusted

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

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in April 2026 were retail trade, construction, and health care and social assistance. Retail trade added 700 jobs. Construction gained 600 jobs, while health care and social assistance added 500 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

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The health care and social assistance sector gained 500 jobs during April 2026.

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

How does West Virginia's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has lost an average of 142 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 175, 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 142 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among six metro areas primarily in West Virginia during April 2026 ranged from a loss of 200 jobs in the Beckley, WV area to a gain of 600 jobs in the Huntington, 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.