Each of the state’s 55 counties saw a significant decrease in the local unemployment rate from February to March.
County level unemployment information is not adjusted for seasonal employment fluctuations, so it is difficult to compare it to the state-level overall picture. But these most recent figures show a decrease that lines up with the historical seasonal rise in labor demand for the month.
The largest unemployment rate decrease came in Clay County, where the rate fell by 3.3%. It still remains high at 7.3% however.
Pendleton (2.9%), Jefferson (3.1%), Monongalia (3.2%), Mason (3.3%), and Putnam (3.3%) each had unemployment rates below 3.5%.
Three counties remained stubbornly high at more than 7%. They are Clay (7.3%), Calhoun (8.4%), and McDowell (10.2%).
Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 4.5%. That was 0.2% lower than February. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 4.3%.