PARKERSBURG -While the state unemployment rate rose two points in January, a county-by-county breakdown shows a staggering unemployment rate in Calhoun County of more than 20 percent and a significant amount of unemployed individuals in Wood County.
Unemployment data by Workforce West Virginia released this week states area counties are on par with the 2 percent rise in unemployment, with the exception of Calhoun County, which saw its unemployment rate jump to a staggering 21.3 percent. That's a six-point jump from December 2009.
Locally, Wood, Doddridge and Gilmer counties have the best unemployment rates in the area. Gilmer County is less than 10 percent, despite a two point rise from December.
While Wood County's unemployment rate is statistically low, at 10.9 percent, the number of unemployed residents is more than double any neighboring county. Wood County has 4,200 unemployed residents, compared to 1,660 in Jackson County, which has an unemployment rate of almost 15 percent.
Unemployment rates continued to rise in Wood, Wirt, Ritchie, Roane, Pleasants, Tyler, Jackson and Doddridge counties, but the increases are largely on par with the overall state level. Unemployment rates for Wood, Ritchie (11.5 percent), Doddridge (10.5 percent) and Gilmer are considered average.
Like Calhoun, several area counties are among the highest in the state. The 16.8 percent unemployment rate for Roane and Wetzel counties is second only to Calhoun.
Calhoun's statistics suggests there are about 610 unemployed workers in the rural county. That's double the rate from January 2009.
Rates are similar in neighboring counties of Wirt (16.2 percent), Roane (16.8 percent) and Clay (16.5 percent).
Monongalia County (5.8 percent) remains the county with the best unemployment rate in the state.
Nationally, the U.S. Labor Department stated unemployment rates rose in 30 states in January, as jobs remain scarce across the country. Michigan has the country's highest rate at 14.3 percent. North Dakota is the lowest at 4.2 percent.
