McDowell County unemployment falls, but stays near state high at 10.2 percent

McDowell County’s unemployment rate improved in March, but the county still stood out for the wrong reason: 10.2 percent jobless, one of only three West Virginia counties above 7 percent and far higher than the state’s 4.5 percent rate and the national rate of 4.3 percent.

The drop from February to March fits the usual spring pickup in labor demand, when construction, tourism, public works and other seasonal employers add workers as the weather improves. But county figures are not seasonally adjusted, so the month-to-month change should be read carefully. Even with that caution, McDowell’s number shows a labor market that remains tight for people looking for steady work close to home.

McDowell’s rate was still well above Clay County’s 7.3 percent and Calhoun County’s 8.4 percent, the only other counties in the state above 7 percent. For a county with just 213 employer establishments, that gap matters. A double-digit unemployment rate means a small number of openings can be swallowed quickly, leaving residents to compete for jobs in a market that offers little margin for error.

The broader picture has not changed much. McDowell County’s population fell from 19,111 in the 2020 Census to an estimated 16,878 on July 1, 2025, after an estimate of 17,147 the year before. Median household income was $31,559 in the latest five-year Census estimate, and just 6.8 percent of adults held a bachelor’s degree or higher. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows the county’s annual unemployment rate averaged 8.0 percent in 2024, underscoring how persistent the job problem has been.

Coal remains part of that instability. Reports in September 2025 said Ramaco Resources halted production at its Laurel Fork mine in Berwind and laid off 32 workers, a reminder that even one shutdown can hit hard in a county with so few employers.

Workforce West Virginia’s Welch office, at 92 McDowell St., Suite 100, remains the local point of contact for job seekers and employers trying to connect. For McDowell, the March decline was welcome, but the county still needs sustained training, recruitment and investment if a seasonal dip is ever going to become a durable recovery.