The States Where Jobs Are Disappearing and Where They’re Moving to Instead

West Virginia was still creating jobs, especially in health care, energy, manufacturing, tourism, construction, and local services. Some areas also benefit from outdoor recreation, small business growth, and efforts to bring in new industries beyond coal.

But the state still lost jobs a little faster than it gained them. Coal and older resource-based industries have been shrinking for years, and some rural communities have a harder time attracting employers. When businesses close or cut back, new jobs do not always arrive quickly enough to replace them.