WV!JOBS=LAUS(54)

West Virginia: jobs and unemployment

Unemployment, employment and the labor force in West Virginia from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

BLS LAUSLatest month: September 2026

Unemployment, September 20264.0%#30 of 51 · #1 = lowest

Annual average, 20254.2%US 4.3%, weighted by labor force

Labor force, 2025781.6K−1.0% on a year earlier

Employed, 2025748.4K33,215 unemployed

Fig. 1Unemployment rate, monthlySeasonally adjusted, percent of the labor force, since 2000

Fig. 2Labor force and employment, 2000–2025Annual averages, people; the gap between the lines is the number unemployed

Labor forceEmployed

Year	Unemployment rate	Labor force	Employed	Unemployed
2025	4.2%	781,630	748,415	33,215
2024	4.1%	789,616	757,628	31,988
2023	3.9%	788,791	758,311	30,480
2022	3.9%	781,527	750,916	30,611
2021	5.1%	773,936	734,192	39,744
2020	8.3%	776,637	712,139	64,498
2019	4.9%	792,040	752,871	39,169
2018	5.1%	791,019	750,445	40,574
2017	5.2%	783,371	742,563	40,808
2016	6.1%	785,077	737,371	47,706
2015	6.5%	791,935	740,117	51,818
2014	6.5%	797,470	745,619	51,851
2013	6.7%	801,167	747,425	53,742
2012	7.2%	809,125	750,895	58,230
2011	7.7%	807,080	744,741	62,339
2010	8.4%	810,914	742,558	68,356
2009	8.0%	815,892	750,914	64,978
2008	4.5%	810,940	774,547	36,393
2007	4.5%	808,237	772,017	36,220
2006	4.8%	807,645	769,201	38,444
2005	5.1%	797,037	756,670	40,367
2004	5.4%	790,484	748,031	42,453
2003	6.1%	791,223	742,736	48,487
2002	6.1%	797,280	748,698	48,582
2001	5.3%	796,925	754,859	42,066
2000	5.6%	798,772	754,372	44,400
1999	6.5%	799,411	747,742	51,669
1998	6.6%	795,309	742,425	52,884
1997	7.0%	791,204	735,812	55,392
1996	7.7%	791,166	730,462	60,704
1995	8.0%	787,241	724,456	62,785
1994	8.8%	787,439	717,960	69,479
1993	10.2%	782,716	702,592	80,124
1992	11.2%	784,596	696,628	87,968
1991	10.7%	775,922	693,227	82,695
1990	8.7%	762,429	696,398	66,031
1989	8.7%	754,668	689,309	65,359
1988	9.8%	731,086	659,100	71,986
1987	10.9%	731,325	651,443	79,882
1986	12.0%	736,058	647,511	88,547
1985	13.2%	741,855	644,052	97,803
1984	14.1%	747,562	642,275	105,287
1983	17.1%	753,039	624,274	128,765
1982	14.0%	774,847	666,425	108,422
1981	10.6%	772,293	690,304	81,989
1980	10.1%	767,789	690,097	77,692
1979	7.4%	754,601	699,025	55,576
1978	6.4%	736,242	689,102	47,140
1977	6.9%	719,521	669,856	49,665
1976	7.2%	708,264	657,388	50,876

BLS LAUS: monthly rates are seasonally adjusted; annual averages are not seasonally adjusted.