West Virginia Economic Outlook 2019-2023

West Virginia’s economy enjoyed its strongest year of growth in nearly a decade during 2017, emerging from several years of severe economic weakness. Most of the bounce back in the state’s economy is connected to the energy sector, not only from the increased production of coal and natural gas but also as a result of a massive build-out of new natural gas pipeline infrastructure throughout the state. Growth has broadened to include more of the state’s regions over the past year or so, but the overall magnitude of gains in jobs and output have remained concentrated in just a few areas as some portions of West Virginia continue to struggle with a range of weak economic fundamentals. Overall, this report provides a broad and detailed foundation to help you understand the long-run economic challenges and opportunities facing West Virginia