April Jobs Data Shows Strength of West Virginia Economy
April 9, 2021
wvc-April-2021-Jobs-Data-Strength-of-Economy-5-19-21Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the positive jobs data that was released yesterday afternoon by Workforce WV and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
West Virginia Chamber President Steve Roberts stated, “Yesterday’s April jobs data release from Workforce WV shows that West Virginia’s economy is roaring back from the pandemic. April 2020 was the first month that the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects showed up in employment data, so while April 2021 is fantastic compared to April 2020, it’s important to compare this month to April 2019. 2019 was the year that West Virginia was approaching record employment levels, so returning to 2019 levels of employment has been a key in our recovery. As it stands now, we have almost accomplished that.”
Roberts continued, “Total employment for April 2021 rose to 750,100. This is just 5,800 below April 2019, which was the best April since 2008. Additionally, West Virginia’s unemployment rate dipped to 5.8%, which remains below the U.S. unemployment rate of 6.1%. It is also important to note that West Virginia’s civilian labor force in April 2021 rose to 795,900, which is the highest level it has been in the month of April since 2014. This important statistic counts both people who are employed and those who are receiving unemployment benefits.”
West Virginia’s employment situation also continued to improve month over month. Below is a chart that shows important sectors of the economy and how the number of jobs have changed from March to April of this year:
- Total Employment: +1,700
- Total Unemployment: -1,500
- Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment: +3,200
- Private Sector Employment: +3,200
- Government Employment: No Change
- Mining & Logging: +1,100
- Construction: -200
- Manufacturing: +600
- Education & Health Services: -100
Roberts concluded, ” The fact that West Virginia is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic so well is a testament that pro-jobs, pro-economic development policies have a meaningful impact. The hard work of the West Virginia Legislature over the past several years is working!”
Members of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce are your small business neighbors. Chamber members employ over half of our state’s workforce and are found in every county and region of our state. More information on the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce can be found at www.wvchamber.com.