While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in West Virginia using
Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and
potentially prompt another recession . The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years. But as of April 2024, the
national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted
unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
#55. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
#54. Hampshire County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
#53. Tucker County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
#52. Monongalia County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
#51. Pendleton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
#50. Monroe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
#49. Morgan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
#48. Putnam County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
#47. Berkeley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
#46. Doddridge County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
#45. Harrison County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
#44. Taylor County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
#43. Ohio County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
#42. Cabell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
#41. Kanawha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
#40. Raleigh County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
#39. Marion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
#38. Grant County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
#37. Greenbrier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
#36. Preston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
#35. Pocahontas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
#34. Summers County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
#33. Mineral County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
#32. Wood County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
#31. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
#30. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
#29. Wyoming County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
#28. Boone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
#27. Mason County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
#26. Logan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
#25. Mercer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
#24. Hardy County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
#23. Barbour County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
#22. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
#21. Fayette County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
#20. Brooke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
#19. Lewis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
#18. Upshur County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
#17. Randolph County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
#16. Marshall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
#15. Nicholas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
#14. Ritchie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
#13. Hancock County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
#12. Mingo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
#11. Braxton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
#10. Tyler County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
#9. Gilmer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
#8. Pleasants County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
#7. Wetzel County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.6%
#6. McDowell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
#5. Wirt County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.8%
#4. Roane County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.2%
#3. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.5%
#2. Webster County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
#1. Calhoun County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 12.1%
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
