BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

06/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2026 09:08

County Employment and Wages in West Virginia — Fourth Quarter 2025

News Release Information

26-902-PHL
Friday, June 12, 2026

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County Employment and Wages in West Virginia - Fourth Quarter 2025

Employment declined 0.5 percent in West Virginia's only large county, Kanawha, from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Lori Keller noted that the rate of employment growth in Kanawha ranked 236th among the 366 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)

Employment in Kanawha stood at 95,700 in December 2025, accounting for 13.7 percent of total employment in West Virginia. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2025

The average weekly wage in Kanawha increased 2.0 percent over the year to $1,281. The national average was $1,569, up 4.2 percent over the year. Kanawha's weekly wage ranked 259th nationally, and the percent change ranked 322nd among the largest U.S. counties.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 54 small counties in West Virginia, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels for all 54 smaller counties were below the national average. Doddridge and Mason had the highest average weekly wages ($1,425 each) in the state. Pocahontas reported the lowest average weekly wage ($792).

Among all 55 West Virginia counties, 13 reported average weekly wages of less than $975, 7 registered wages from $975 to $1,049, 11 had wages from $1,050 to $1,124, 13 had wages from$1,125 to $1,199, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,200 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in West Virginia, fourth quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,569)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in West Virginia, fourth quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 -- 1,569 -- 4.2 --

West Virginia

62.8 698.3 -0.6 -- 1,203 50 3.5 40

Kanawha

6.8 95.7 -0.5 236 1,281 259 2.0 322

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in West Virginia, fourth quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment December 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,428,415 156,700,218 1,569

West Virginia

62,814 698,272 1,203

Barbour

381 3,225 1,258

Berkeley

3,984 39,348 1,201

Boone

430 4,611 1,078

Braxton

398 4,901 1,026

Brooke

632 7,517 1,126

Cabell

3,371 52,190 1,195

Calhoun

150 1,230 1,090

Clay

194 1,454 991

Doddridge

133 1,640 1,425

Fayette

1,233 10,141 988

Gilmer

166 1,852 957

Grant

371 3,746 1,153

Greenbrier

1,414 12,179 926

Hampshire

561 4,275 899

Hancock

980 8,554 1,090

Hardy

469 6,139 970

Harrison

2,518 37,418 1,294

Jackson

732 7,795 1,116

Jefferson

2,501 17,327 1,251

Kanawha

6,834 95,716 1,281

Lewis

533 5,642 1,084

Lincoln

340 2,659 840

Logan

999 11,728 1,181

McDowell

368 3,664 1,132

Marion

1,767 17,643 1,121

Marshall

699 10,368 1,381

Mason

510 7,401 1,425

Mercer

1,705 19,481 1,035

Mineral

745 8,757 1,117

Mingo

524 4,391 1,125

Monongalia

4,399 60,731 1,354

Monroe

326 1,860 988

Morgan

416 3,133 905

Nicholas

820 6,814 1,029

Ohio

1,819 27,026 1,147

Pendleton

231 1,443 853

Pleasants

193 2,274 1,212

Pocahontas

354 3,196 792

Preston

882 7,275 1,145

Putnam

1,927 22,102 1,359

Raleigh

2,655 32,568 1,111

Randolph

995 10,347 919

Ritchie

262 2,981 1,087

Roane

362 2,772 1,062

Summers

270 2,140 948

Taylor

354 3,436 1,167

Tucker

285 2,835 911

Tyler

169 1,970 1,172

Upshur

840 7,485 988

Wayne

711 8,441 1,185

Webster

220 1,420 828

Wetzel

443 4,860 1,136

Wirt

115 716 852

Wood

2,677 35,591 1,114

Wyoming

441 4,314 1,172

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2025
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Alabama

167.4 2,135.3 0.5 1,301 36 3.7 37

Alaska

25.3 317.3 -0.3 1,497 16 4.7 14

Arizona

227.4 3,278.3 0.0 1,446 20 3.0 47

Arkansas

113.0 1,318.2 0.4 1,213 49 5.0 8

California

2,013.7 18,351.7 0.6 1,954 4 4.6 16

Colorado

258.5 2,896.4 -0.6 1,683 8 5.6 3

Connecticut

149.8 1,706.5 0.1 1,801 6 5.0 8

Delaware

47.3 481.0 0.1 1,502 15 4.7 14

District of Columbia

51.0 726.1 -4.5 2,587 1 4.1 24

Florida

886.2 10,013.2 0.3 1,471 17 4.8 12

Georgia

398.7 4,925.4 0.1 1,440 21 3.5 40

Hawaii

63.0 650.0 -0.2 1,411 25 5.0 8

Idaho

104.3 875.7 1.8 1,303 35 5.8 2

Illinois

387.7 6,089.5 -0.1 1,588 11 3.3 42

Indiana

195.6 3,211.2 0.1 1,276 40 4.5 17

Iowa

110.6 1,560.0 -0.2 1,282 39 3.7 37

Kansas

101.8 1,443.2 -0.1 1,268 44 4.1 24

Kentucky

161.3 2,008.7 -0.1 1,235 46 3.8 34

Louisiana

159.2 1,927.3 -0.5 1,267 45 3.2 44

Maine

67.6 644.7 -0.1 1,332 33 4.2 21

Maryland

199.5 2,754.6 -1.1 1,616 10 3.0 47

Massachusetts

298.5 3,625.5 -0.9 1,980 2 4.9 11

Michigan

316.9 4,412.7 0.0 1,427 23 4.2 21

Minnesota

215.2 2,948.0 0.0 1,505 14 3.7 37

Mississippi

92.2 1,180.9 0.3 1,075 51 5.1 7

Missouri

259.9 2,920.8 -0.1 1,324 34 4.4 18

Montana

62.3 512.3 -0.1 1,296 38 3.3 42

Nebraska

78.5 1,024.0 -0.2 1,275 42 4.0 31

Nevada

111.0 1,592.1 1.7 1,395 27 3.2 44

New Hampshire

67.9 688.8 -0.6 1,652 9 4.8 12

New Jersey

343.1 4,343.1 0.2 1,691 7 3.9 33

New Mexico

69.7 875.3 -0.3 1,275 42 4.1 24

New York

719.1 9,907.5 0.4 1,975 3 5.4 4

North Carolina

392.1 4,991.1 0.9 1,409 26 3.8 34

North Dakota

37.0 430.4 -0.2 1,350 31 2.7 49

Ohio

348.5 5,554.4 0.0 1,358 30 4.1 24

Oklahoma

129.3 1,717.1 0.1 1,217 48 4.1 24

Oregon

177.9 1,975.8 -1.0 1,468 19 3.2 44

Pennsylvania

398.1 6,094.8 0.2 1,470 18 4.0 31

Rhode Island

49.1 500.3 -0.1 1,429 22 6.0 1

South Carolina

192.4 2,344.7 1.5 1,276 40 4.3 20

South Dakota

41.2 458.9 -0.2 1,230 47 4.1 24

Tennessee

225.2 3,281.6 -0.3 1,424 24 3.8 34

Texas

860.8 14,255.2 0.8 1,549 13 4.2 21

Utah

144.6 1,761.6 1.4 1,389 28 4.1 24

Vermont

34.5 309.3 -0.9 1,378 29 5.3 5

Virginia

324.0 4,166.9 0.5 1,585 12 2.6 50

Washington

242.1 3,590.3 -0.3 1,948 5 2.4 51

West Virginia

62.8 698.3 -0.6 1,203 50 3.5 40

Wisconsin

213.9 2,946.2 -0.1 1,346 32 5.3 5

Wyoming

31.7 278.4 -0.8 1,297 37 4.4 18

Puerto Rico

53.5 974.7 -0.2 735 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 34.7 0.3 1,068 (3) 2.7 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on June 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 12, 2026 at 15:08 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]