After a several month delay due to the federal government shutdown, West Virginia’s jobs report resumed this month, showing a sluggish economy that lost 700 jobs in November, and 5,800 jobs since July, for five straight months of job losses. The steepest losses of the year were in the federal government sector, as the federal DOGE initiative has led to 2,200 lost federal government jobs in West Virginia over the past year.
The delayed jobs report revealed a loss of 1,700 jobs in October and 700 jobs in November. As of November, West Virginia has lost jobs in seven of the 11 months of 2025.
While DOGE had been cutting federal jobs throughout the year, many federal workers were encouraged to take deferred resignations or face firing or dismissal. The deferred resignation program allowed federal workers to be paid through the end of September, meaning their job losses began to appear in the jobs data in October. An estimated 150,000 federal workers nationwide agreed to take a buyout under DOGE cuts, with an estimated 100,000 officially losing their jobs on September 30 (the end of the federal fiscal year), which was reflected in the October jobs data. Another 50,000 are estimated to leave at the end of the calendar year, and will likely appear in the January jobs report.
In West Virginia, federal employment fell by 700 jobs from February to September 2025, before sharply dropping in October by another 1,300 jobs, reflecting the deferred resignation DOGE cuts.
Federal government job losses have had the biggest impact on West Virginia’s overall jobs picture over the past 12 months. Total federal government employment is down 2,200 jobs from November 2024 to November 2025, offsetting some of the job gains in the health care and construction sectors; total nonfarm employment is down 1,400 jobs during this period.
State and local government jobs have not been immune to losses either, as state tax cuts and federal funding losses have eroded support for these positions. Total state and local government jobs in West Virginia are down by 5,100 jobs since 2019, straining the state’s ability to provide basic public services like education, foster care, health care, child care, infrastructure, and more.
The public sector (federal, state, and local government jobs collectively) is the largest employment sector in West Virginia. While lawmakers often talk about government’s role in private sector jobs–which they have relatively little control over–they have immense power to protect and improve public sector positions, which are often well-paying, family-sustaining jobs for our state’s people. Between federal DOGE cuts and a shrinking state budget, thousands of West Virginia families have lost those good jobs over the last several years, striking a blow to their own financial security and the broader economy.
