Department of Numbers

Beckley, West Virginia Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Beckley fell 0.0 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.0 percentage points lower than the West Virginia rate. The unemployment rate in Beckley peaked in April 2020 at 18.1% and is now 14.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.3% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Beckley unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
West Virginia 3.3% 0.0 -0.5
Beckley 3.3% 0.0 -0.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Beckley, West Virginia, National

Beckley, West Virginia monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Beckley, West Virginia Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Beckley peaked in April 2020 at 8,266. There are now 6,735 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 1,502 in April 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 29.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Beckley 1,531 +29 -274

Number of Unemployed Persons

Beckley, West Virginia Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
West Virginia
Unemployment Rate
Beckley
Unemployment Rate
Beckley
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 3.3% 3.3% 1,531
April
2023
3.4% 3.3% 3.3% 1,502
March
2023
3.5% 3.4% 3.4% 1,529
February
2023
3.6% 3.7% 3.6% 1,619
January
2023
3.4% 3.9% 3.9% 1,780
December
2022
3.5% 4.1% 4.1% 1,864
November
2022
3.6% 4.1% 4.1% 1,869
October
2022
3.7% 4.1% 4.2% 1,890
September
2022
3.5% 4.1% 4.2% 1,922
August
2022
3.7% 4.1% 4.3% 1,941
July
2022
3.5% 4.0% 4.2% 1,924

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers.