Labor Shed

LABOR SHED

The wood product industry’s direct contribution of employment accounted for 4.6 percent of all jobs in the WV HAZ region. This compares to the statewide FPI accounting for 1.8 percent of all jobs in the state. Almost 40% of all FPI employees in West Virginia work in the 12-county HAZ region. You can expect to find quality, skilled, and experienced people for your newly established forest products company.

The Hardwood Alliance Zone Labor Shed consists of twelve core West Virginia counties – Barbour, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hardy, Lewis, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur, and Webster – plus 27 additional counties in West Virginia and bordering states that represent an approximate 50-mile, one-way commute into the Zone, typical for a local worker.

WEST VIRGINIA LABOR FORCE

2021 2020 2019 2018
Civilian Labor Force 788,800 792,200 797,000 785,200
Total Employment 749,100 726,000 757,900 744,300
Total Unemployment 39,700 66,100 39,100 40,900
Unemployment Rate 5.0 8.3 4.9 5.2

HARDWOOD ALLIANCE ZONE, WEST VIRGINIA USA LABOR SHED

Source: WorkforceWV, Labor Market Information