West Virginia saw a slight decrease in business registration growth in 2017 compared to the previous year according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office.
According to data from the Business Statistics Database (BSD), the state saw 10.87 percent growth in new business registrations for 2017 (attachment). This was 1.23 percent less than 2016, which saw 12.10 percent business registration growth. A total of 8,318 new businesses registered with the Secretary of State’s Office in 2017.
For the year of 2017, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Wayne counties led the state in business growth. Lincoln County saw 14.41 percent growth, Jefferson County’s business growth was 14.09 percent, and Wayne County had 13.6 percent business growth over the last 12 months.
For the month of December 2017, three counties saw the most percentage growth in business registrations. The Secretary of State’s Business & Licensing Division reports that the top three counties for business growth in December are Wirt County with 1.53 percent growth, Lewis County with 1.30 percent growth, and Hancock County with 1.20 percent growth.
The number of business entities grew in Wirt County from 129 to 131, business entities in Lewis County increased from 685 to 692, and the number of entities licensed to do business in Hancock County increased in number from 988 to 999. Statewide, 510 new businesses were incorporated or started in December, with 52 out of 55 counties reporting business growth (attachment).
To discover more information regarding business statistics in every county throughout West Virginia, go to http://apps.sos.wv.gov/business/BSD.
