Earnings on average are up 1.8% in the area, with 15,000 new jobs created this year. However, unemployment is also up .4% since last year, making 5.4% of its workers unemployed. The states unemployment average is a little higher than the nations average of 4.8%.
The No Child Left Behind Act has affected West Virginian schools greatly. The West Virginia Department of Education has enacted their own test system called the WESTEST or West Virginian Educational Standards Test, where they test childrens math and reading proficiency. The graduation rate in 2000 was 75.2%.