By Stephen Smoot
Last month, the United States Census Bureau released the 2023 set of County Business Patterns Data. According to the Census Bureau, this represents “an annual series that provides subnational economic data for establishments with paid employees by industry and employment size.
The Census Bureau usually releases a year’s data approximately 18 months after the end of the year. Data can be accessed by nation, state, county, zip code, congressional district, or, in the cases of more populated counties, sections of them.
Data availability does come with limits. The United States Department of Agriculture, for example, collects and disseminates economic data on farming operations. Though CBPD does include the agriculture sector, it does not go into much detail on that.
Additionally, CPBD does not release information in a data point when that could be used to identify individual companies. With that data available, competitors could discern proprietary information from that company’s operations. This would eliminate the incentive for such companies to comply with Census surveys.
Data released from 2023 can give a more clear picture of an area’s rebound from the economic ravages of the COVID pandemic.
Throughout West Virginia, the number of businesses marked by the survey increased from 2020. Numbers expanded slowly from 35,323 to 35,839., about one and a half percent. Locally, however, those numbers rose in the same time frame from 268 to 294, a spike of a little less than nine percent.
Much more dramatic for Hardy County was the nearly 44 percent rise in total payroll, from about $172,000,000 to $263,000,00. The number of workers also expanded from 5,108 to 6,104, by about 16 percent in three years.
In the field of construction, the state saw the number of construction companies rise from 2,996 in 2020 to 3,149 three years later. Hardy County saw its number of firms engaged in that field decline from 30 to 27, but at the same time employment rose from 86 to 102 with the county construction worker annual payroll expanding from $3,131,000 to $4,491,000.
Manufacturing, however, declined in terms of numbers of businesses between 2020 and 2023. The number of businesses went from 1,071 to 1,060. That said, the number of manufacturing businesses with five or fewer employees took the biggest hit, dropping from 351 to 325.
The state actually added three companies that employed between 250 and 499 in manufacturing while the numbers of those employing 500 or more did not change.
Hardy County added a single manufacturing company in the three year time period, but the number of employees jumped from 2,763 to 3,272. Annual payroll rose from $93,372,000 to $154,353,000, a jump of about 40 percent.
Businesses related to tourism in Hardy County saw similar boosts that many other areas of the state saw. In 2023, Governor Jim Justice touted the industry’s $7 billion impact in the state for 2022. A release from his office noted that “represents a 17 percent increase in visitor spending compared to pre-pandemic levels, far higher than the United States’ overall one percent post-pandemic tourism recovery.
Pandemic fears transformed tourist trends across the United States. Popular urban destinations saw numbers drastically decline as Americans headed for the hills. West Virginia’s reputation for remote wilderness provided comfort to people who wanted to stay away from people.
Hardy County saw substantial growth in tourist related business as well. Food and accommodation business numbers rose from 25 to 32 while the number of employees in such establishments increased by about 15 percent. Payroll in this field jumped from $4,804,000 to $7,502,000.
Arts and entertainment did not even exist as a category for Hardy County in 2020, but by 2023 seven establishments had appeared under that category. Entertainment businesses did exist, but in such few numbers that an observer could figure out the performance of individual businesses were they counted, which the Census Bureau works to prevent.. In 2023, 52 employees earned 838,000 for the year in those businesses. Last month, the United States Census Bureau released the 2023 set of County Business Patterns Data. According to the Census Bureau, this represents “an annual series that provides subnational economic data for establishments with paid employees by industry and employment size.
The Census Bureau usually releases a year’s data approximately 18 months after the end of the year. Data can be accessed by nation, state, county, zip code, congressional district, or, in the cases of more populated counties, sections of them.
Data availability does come with limits. The United States Department of Agriculture, for example, collects and disseminates economic data on farming operations. Though CBPD does include the agriculture sector, it does not go into much detail on that.
Additionally, CPBD does not release information in a data point when that could be used to identify individual companies. With that data available, competitors could discern proprietary information from that company’s operations. This would eliminate the incentive for such companies to comply with Census surveys.
Data released from 2023 can give a more clear picture of an area’s rebound from the economic ravages of the COVID pandemic.
Throughout West Virginia, the number of businesses marked by the survey increased from 2020. Numbers expanded slowly from 35,323 to 35,839., about one and a half percent. Locally, however, those numbers rose in the same time frame from 268 to 294, a spike of a little less than nine percent.
Much more dramatic for Hardy County was the nearly 44 percent rise in total payroll, from about $172,000,000 to $263,000,00. The number of workers also expanded from 5,108 to 6,104, by about 16 percent in three years.
In the field of construction, the state saw the number of construction companies rise from 2,996 in 2020 to 3,149 three years later. Hardy County saw its number of firms engaged in that field decline from 30 to 27, but at the same time employment rose from 86 to 102 with the county construction worker annual payroll expanding from $3,131,000 to $4,491,000.
Manufacturing, however, declined in terms of numbers of businesses between 2020 and 2023. The number of businesses went from 1,071 to 1,060. That said, the number of manufacturing businesses with five or fewer employees took the biggest hit, dropping from 351 to 325.
The state actually added three companies that employed between 250 and 499 in manufacturing while the numbers of those employing 500 or more did not change.
Hardy County added a single manufacturing company in the three year time period, but the number of employees jumped from 2,763 to 3,272. Annual payroll rose from $93,372,000 to $154,353,000, a jump of about 40 percent.
Businesses related to tourism in Hardy County saw similar boosts that many other areas of the state saw. In 2023, Governor Jim Justice touted the industry’s $7 billion impact in the state for 2022. A release from his office noted that “represents a 17 percent increase in visitor spending compared to pre-pandemic levels, far higher than the United States’ overall one percent post-pandemic tourism recovery.
Pandemic fears transformed tourist trends across the United States. Popular urban destinations saw numbers drastically decline as Americans headed for the hills. West Virginia’s reputation for remote wilderness provided comfort to people who wanted to stay away from people.
Hardy County saw substantial growth in tourist related business as well. Food and accommodation business numbers rose from 25 to 32 while the number of employees in such establishments increased by about 15 percent. Payroll in this field jumped from $4,804,000 to $7,502,000.
Arts and entertainment did not even exist as a category for Hardy County in 2020, but by 2023 seven establishments had appeared under that category. Entertainment businesses did exist, but in such few numbers that an observer could figure out the performance of individual businesses were they counted, which the Census Bureau works to prevent.. In 2023, 52 employees earned 838,000 for the year in those businesses.
