EMPLOYMENT
Doddridge County saw the fastest rate of job creation—2.1 percent per year—between 2005-2015.
Monongalia, Berkeley, Lewis and Putnam counties rounded out the top five, and each registered
average annual growth of at least 1.1 percent over the past 10 years.
During the 2016-2021 outlook period, Marshall and Ritchie counties are expected to see the fastest
rates of job growth at roughly 2.4 percent per year. This strong growth will stem in large part from
a rebound in direct hiring and contract labor utilization as producers continue to develop upstream
and midstream natural gas resources throughout the Marcellus and Utica shales. Overall, the
counties expected to enjoy the fastest rates of net job growth over the next five years are generally
situated along the prime areas of known natural gas resources.
Graph 2.2
WV Employment Distribution by Sector, 2015
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Graph 5.3
Annual Employment Growth,
2005-2015
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Graph 5.4
Forecast Annual Employment Growth,
2016-2021
SOURCE: WVU BBER County Econometric Model
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