The unemployment rate in the Mountain State held steady at 4% for the last two months, while it is up to 4.2% for the country as a whole. At the same time, labor force participation continues to languish behind the national average.
Unemployment figures are calculated based on the number of people actively seeking work. Those who have dropped out of the workforce are not included – and that number is growing.
About 400 more residents found jobs in September while those actively looking for work dropped by about 600 in the same period. There are 30,700 people looking for jobs according to numbers released by Workforce West Virginia.
Total nonfarm payroll employment did not change from August to September. Construction scaled back by 300 and manufacturing slid by 100; meanwhile, mining and logging saw a gain of 100 in September.
Professional and business services were up by 800 and trade, transportation, and utilities increased by 300. Private education and health services were also up 300 while leisure and hospitality were up 200 jobs.
Four sectors saw declines over the month with total government employment losing 500. Other services declined by 400, and financial activities and information each went down by 200.
Over The Year
Total nonfarm payroll has been flat throughout 2026.
The largest increase came from private education and health services at 2,900. Professional and business services grew by 1,000; trade, transportation, and utilities gained 600; and leisure and hospitality added 100.
Construction saw the biggest decline, losing 1,400, followed by other services, which lost 1,200. Mining and logging, as well as financial activities, each slid by 600. Total government dropped by 500, information fell by 200, and manufacturing decreased by 100.
Labor Force Participation
West Virginia’s labor force participation rate was unchanged at 53.8%. The national average is 61.8%, which is up from August, but down from September 2025.
If West Virginia’s rate met the national average, that would mean nearly 60,000 more workers on state payrolls.
