Marion County faring quite well in weathering economic storm

For the Times West Virginian

June 28, 2009 12:52 am

— How would you like to live in a location where unemployment is second lowest in the entire state?
Out of 55 counties, no less?
Well, if you should happen to call Marion County home, you are doing just that. Statistics reveal that despite the current economic conditions, our county’s labor market remains strong and is second only to Monongalia County in the entire state.
True, our unemployment rate is at 6 percent. And that’s a little high. But when you measure that with the state average, which is 8.5 percent, or the national average at 9.1 percent, our figure looks to be very good.
In fact, our figure could be called huge. And the statistics are probably a major surprise to those people living here. There have been periods 20 and 30 years ago, and no doubt even before that, when the unemployment rate here stood at 8 and 9 percent. In May, West Virginia’s unemployment rate climbed six-tenths of a percentage point to 8.5, according to statistics compiled by WorkForce West Virginia. The number of unemployed state residents rose 4,900 to 67,700. Total unemployment was up 33,800 over the year.
Our unemployment rate was 3.5 percent last May, when things were going good, but every county in the state faced an unemployment gain.
High-tech jobs, higher education, health care. This is our job base now. Coal mining and factory jobs no longer dominate the job base. Many of our mines have closed, and the factory jobs are about nil. Things have really changed here over the past decade or so.
With Monongalia, Marion and Harrison counties all ranked in the Top Three, being in the midst of the High Tech Corridor is really paying off.
There’s no question that having 33,800 more people out of jobs statewide than were working last year is challenging. But to rank No. 2 in the state in unemployment is something we have not seen in our lifetime. Marion County ranks second only to Monongalia County’s 4.7 figure. Harrison and Kanawha counties are tied for third place, with Putnam and Mercer in a fourth-place deadlock at 7.0.
“I think that we have a lot of projects that are currently going on and are slated to happen in Marion County, and I think this community has worked very hard to create opportunities in order to advance our economic environment,” Tina Shaw, president of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, said. “We see nothing but growth in our future.”
County Commission president Randy Elliott said Marion County “has experienced setbacks, like the closing of Philips Lighting Co., but every county deals with those devastations.” He says Marion County more than makes up for its losses with the new things that are happening. The I-79 Corridor is booming and exploding with opportunities, and Marion County is strategically located in the center of that activity. People are seeing the county as an attractive location, he said.
There are those in our midst who can see the light at the end of the current recession. Let’s hope they are right. But meanwhile, as recessions go, Marion County has never been in any better position to weather the storm than it is right now.