For two months running, McDowell’s employment is bottom of the state
For two months running, McDowell’s employment is bottom of the state
By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
August 21, 2009 09:35 pm
— WELCH — McDowell County reported the state’s highest jobless rate in July, according to the latest data from WorkForce West Virginia.
While unemployment rates fell in most West Virginia counties in July, McDowell County reported a high unemployment rate of 14.6 percent, the Associated Press reported.
The higher than normal unemployment numbers in July are being blamed on fluctuations in the county’s coal industry.
Ron Wyatt, director of the WorkForce West Virginia office in Welch, said several coal mines in the county had layoffs during the time period.
“Most of it is from the coal industry, and coal related,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt said the downturn could be short-lived, adding the local coal industry is already beginning to rebound in McDowell.
The new $232 million federal prison project in McDowell County, which will create more than 300 new jobs, also should help to put a dent in the county’s unemployment numbers later this year.
Wyatt said the pre-hiring process for the federal prison is continuing. The actual hiring should begin soon. Construction on the federal prison is nearing completion. It is expected to open for prisoners sometime in early 2010.
Monongalia reported the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.4 percent during the month of July, according to the WorkForce West Virginia data.
