West Virginia Q1, 2019 Employment Statistics- 51,279 employers, up 0.8% from 50,878
- 684,406 employees, up 0.6% from 680,504
- $896 average weekly wage, up 3.2% from $868
- The average weekly wage is 24.3% below the national average
- The cost of living is 5.3% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 401, which is an increase of 0.8%. The number of employees in West Virginia increased by 3,902, an increase of 0.6%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $28, an increase of 3.2%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 408 or 0.9%. Growth in private businesses in West Virginia grew slower than the national average of 3.0%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 4,550 or 0.8%. The growth in employees of private businesses in West Virginia was slower than the national average of 1.7%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $31 or 3.6%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in West Virginia grew faster than the national average of 3.0%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Retail trade with 12.2% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector declined by 3.5%. Other services (11.2%), which increased by 5.9% and Healthcare (10.5%), which increased by 0.4%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other services | 320 | 5.9% |
| Information | 46 | 5.9% |
| Educational services | 19 | 4.8% |
| Company management | 21 | 4.3% |
| Real estate and rental | 39 | 2.6% |
| Transport and warehousing | 37 | 2.4% |
| Professional services | 71 | 1.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 51 | 1.4% |
| Waste services | 26 | 0.9% |
| Utilities | 2 | 0.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 19 | 0.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 0.4% |
| Healthcare | 21 | 0.4% |
| Construction | 12 | 0.3% |
| Arts and entertainment | -6 | -0.6% |
| Agriculture and forestry | -3 | -0.7% |
| Manufacturing | -14 | -1.1% |
| Mining and oil extraction | -15 | -2.0% |
| Retail trade | -225 | -3.5% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Healthcare with 17.3% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 0.4% in the last year. Retail trade (11.7%), decreased by 3.1% and Accommodation and food services (9.5%), increased by 0.4%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2,729 | 9.1% |
| Mining and oil extraction | 977 | 4.6% |
| Arts and entertainment | 292 | 4.2% |
| Educational services | 240 | 3.9% |
| Transport and warehousing | 589 | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 470 | 2.3% |
| Manufacturing | 531 | 1.1% |
| Professional services | 258 | 1.0% |
| Waste services | 331 | 1.0% |
| Company management | 57 | 0.9% |
| Other services | 168 | 0.9% |
| Healthcare | 470 | 0.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 238 | 0.4% |
| Utilities | 17 | 0.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 26 | 0.1% |
| Real estate and rental | -19 | -0.3% |
| Agriculture and forestry | -11 | -0.7% |
| Retail trade | -2,564 | -3.1% |
| Information | -270 | -3.2% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Utilities paying $2,331per week compared with the state average of $893. Weekly wages in this sector rose by $160 or 7.4%. Company management ($1,777), rose by $25 or 1.4% and Mining and oil extraction ($1,702) increased by $3 or 0.2% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Educational services | $70 | 9.8% |
| Construction | $97 | 9.1% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $43 | 7.5% |
| Utilities | $160 | 7.4% |
| Information | $73 | 7.4% |
| Waste services | $42 | 6.2% |
| Transport and warehousing | $45 | 4.8% |
| Finance and insurance | $49 | 4.3% |
| Healthcare | $33 | 3.7% |
| Wholesale trade | $44 | 3.6% |
| Retail trade | $17 | 3.3% |
| Real estate and rental | $26 | 3.3% |
| Other services | $10 | 1.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | $5 | 1.5% |
| Company management | $25 | 1.4% |
| Mining and oil extraction | $3 | 0.2% |
| Professional services | $2 | 0.2% |
| Arts and entertainment | $-4 | -1.2% |
| Manufacturing | $-16 | -1.3% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In West Virginia. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 5.6% of the businesses in the state (with 2,854 employing 49,827 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 37 more businesses, an increase of 1.3% in the last year. Private households (5.4% of businesses) added 323 businesses, an increase of 13.2% and Offices of physicians (2.7% of businesses) had 16 fewer businesses, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Footwear merchant wholesalers | 3 | 100.0% |
| Management training | 4 | 80.0% |
| All other financial investment activities | 12 | 63.2% |
| Breweries | 6 | 54.5% |
| Other professional equip. merchant wholesaler | 5 | 50.0% |
| Facilities support services | 7 | 50.0% |
| Fish and seafood markets | 2 | 50.0% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Private households | 323 | 13.2% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 40 | 3.8% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 37 | 1.3% |
| All other professional and technical services | 28 | 43.1% |
| Offices of specialty therapists | 27 | 9.9% |
| Management consulting services | 23 | 4.2% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 21 | 4.3% |
Employees by Industry
Private households (5.4% of employees) added 323 employees, an increase of 13.2% and Offices of physicians (2.7% ofemployees) had 16 fewer employees, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Management training | 48 | 651.0% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | 17 | 183.0% |
| Other support activities for road transport. | 82 | 160.2% |
| Educational support services | 373 | 110.3% |
| Freight transportation arrangement | 85 | 104.9% |
| All other financial investment activities | 43 | 93.6% |
| Service estab. equip. merchant wholesalers | 205 | 78.0% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 1,116 | 2.9% |
| Oil and gas pipeline construction | 1,104 | 29.2% |
| Industrial building construction | 806 | 71.1% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 545 | 1.1% |
| Support activities for mining | 535 | 10.7% |
| Coal mining | 377 | 2.8% |
| Educational support services | 373 | 110.3% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
Private households ($5) and Offices of physicians ($3) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Private households ($5 per week) were paid $323 more per week, an increase of 13.2% and Offices of physicians ($3 per week) were paid $16 less per week, a decline of 1.1% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Management training | $625 | 117.7% |
| Lumber and wood merchant wholesalers | $492 | 73.8% |
| Musical groups and artists | $155 | 60.8% |
| Footwear merchant wholesalers | $315 | 56.1% |
| Translation and interpretation services | $265 | 49.0% |
| Other ground passenger transportation | $130 | 41.8% |
| Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers | $1,038 | 40.6% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers | $1,038 | 40.6% |
| Management training | $625 | 117.7% |
| Satellite telecommunications | $549 | 28.9% |
| Lumber and wood merchant wholesalers | $492 | 73.8% |
| Commodity contracts brokerage | $399 | 31.3% |
| Nonscheduled air transportation | $380 | 20.8% |
| Footwear merchant wholesalers | $315 | 56.1% |
Company Size
West Virginia Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in West Virginia by far. 57.5% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 45,410 small businesses in the state represent 96.1% of all private businesses. The national average is 92.9%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) West Virginia added 408 businesses in the last year, an increase of 0.9% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 375 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.8% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 35 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 2.0% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses declined 2 businesses in the last year, which is a decrease of 3.6% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
West Virginia Employees by Business Size
West Virginia added 13,650 employees in the last year, an increase of 2.6% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 226 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 0.5% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 13,055 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 7.0% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 369 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 0.6% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
West Virginia Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
West Virginia workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in West Virginia (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 19.5% less than the national average ($841 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in West Virginia (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 61.3% workers below the national average ($1,186 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $122 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 4.1% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $114 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 4.0% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $23 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of 0.9% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Data Sources
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