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Most coalfield counties still losing jobs

By OWEN WELLS

Civitas Media

LOGAN, W.Va. — WorkForce West Virginia reported the jobless rate in West Virginia has dropped to a seasonally adjusted 4.9 percent.

The state has experience a relatively quick decline in unemployment during the beginning of 2017 falling by seven tenths of a percent.

To put that into perspective, in all of 2016, West Virginia’s jobless rate fell only by four tenths of a percent.

This time last year, the state’s unemployment figure stood at 6.2 percent.

However, when diving more deeply into the latest county data available from WorkForce West Virginia (February 2017), the uneven nature of West Virginia’s job market becomes apparent.

Calhoun County, in the center of the state, had the highest unemployment rate in the state registering at 13.9 percent and Jefferson County in the eastern panhandle registered 3.4 percent.

In the coalfields, Mingo County’s unemployment rate was 10.3 percent, McDowell County was 10.2 percent, Logan County was 8.4 percent, Lincoln County was 8.2 percent, Wyoming County was eight percent and Boone County was seven percent.

Total employment (the number of people who are employed) in Mingo County in February 2017 was 5,650, but in February 2016, the number stood at 5,870

Total employment in Logan County was 9,870 clocking a decrease of 60 jobs from this time last year.

In Wyoming county, the figure dropped 290 jobs to 6,520.

Boone County added 40 jobs for a total employment of 7,300 in February 2017.

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