What is the unemployment rate in West Virginia right now?
Data updated September 30, 2024
About 4.2% in August 2024. That was a 0.0 percentage point increase from a year before. The unemployment rate is the percentage of people in the labor force who are actively looking for work but not currently employed. It’s a common way to measure the health of the job market and economy.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the unemployment rate through a monthly survey to identify the civilian labor force, meaning people who are employed or actively seeking work. It counts part-time workers as employed. It excludes people who aren’t actively looking for work, such as retirees or discouraged workers.
Unemployment rates differ within states due to various factors. Counties with many job opportunities and different industries often have lower unemployment rates. In rural areas or in places where industries are shrinking, the rate can be higher . Seasonal work in industries like tourism or farming can lead to unemployment rising or falling. Population changes and local policies also play a role in how many people are employed.
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In West Virginia, McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate at 9.1%. Jefferson County had the lowest at 3.1%. Kanawha County, the county with the largest labor force in the state, had an unemployment rate of 4.3%. The latest county-level data was from July 2024.
