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West Virginia

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West Virginia payroll employment decreased by 2,000 jobs (0.3 percent) in March. The unemployment rate remained flat over the month at 4.3 percent.

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  • "West Virginia's lost two-thousand jobs in March 2024, but the state's payroll employment growth has been nearly as fast as the nation over the past twelve months." — Adam Scavette
  • West Virginia payroll employment decreased by 2,000 jobs (0.3 percent), on net, in March. Government (400 jobs) and construction (300 jobs) added jobs in March, but losses occurred in all other sectors. The largest declines occurred in manufacturing (900 jobs), leisure and hospitality (900 jobs), and professional and business services (700 jobs).
  • On a year-over-year basis, West Virginia payroll employment increased by 11,700 jobs (1.7 percent), on net. The most jobs were added over the year in education and health services (5,000 jobs), followed by government (4,900 jobs). The only industries that lost jobs over the past year were trade, transportation, and utilities (1,100 jobs) and manufacturing (800 jobs).
  • The unemployment rate in West Virginia remained flat over the month at 4.3 percent but has risen 0.8 percentage point from its March 2023 reading of 3.5 percent. West Virginia's unemployment rate is the second highest in the Fifth District (after the District of Columbia) and the eleventh highest in the nation.

Housing Market icon showing a picture of a house Housing Market Conditions

  • West Virginia issued 320 residential permits in February, up from 297 permits issued in January and up from the 239 issued in February 2022.
  • According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, home values in West Virginia in the fourth quarter were up 6.0 percent from a year earlier.
Snapshot Resources
  • Term Definitions

    Payroll Employment
    The number of nonfarm jobs (persons on payrolls) according to where those jobs are located.

    Unemployment Rate
    The number of unemployed persons (those not employed but available and searching for work) as a percent of the civilian labor force (the total number of employed plus unemployed persons).

    Industry Structure
    A breakdown of total nonfarm jobs by industry. Percentages sum to 100 percent.

    Industry Growth
    The percentage change in jobs in each industry from a year ago.

    Building Permits
    The number of privately owned single-family and multi-family units authorized in permit-issuing places.

    House Price Index
    A repeat sales index, measuring average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same single-family properties.

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