Manufacturing Economy Monitor
Primary Metals Manufacturing in West Virginia
Primary Metals manufacturing added $807M of value to West Virginia's economy in 2024, down 7.3% year over year. That ranks West Virginia 26th of 51 states and DC for this industry. It is 9% of West Virginia's manufacturing output. Nationally, primary metals is a $77.7B industry (the 12th-largest of the 19 manufacturing subsectors), per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Output and rank
- Value added: $807M in 2024, #26 of 51 states and DC for this industry.
- Growth: -7.3% year over year.
- Share of West Virginia's manufacturing: 9% of the state's total manufacturing value added.
- National context: primary metals is a $77.7B industry nationally, #12 of the 19 manufacturing subsectors (+1.6% year over year).
- Classification: durable goods manufacturing (BEA subsector 331).
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the primary metals industry in West Virginia? Primary Metals added $807M of value in West Virginia in 2024, ranking the state 26th of 51 for this industry, per BEA state GDP-by-industry data.
- Is primary metals growing in West Virginia? West Virginia's primary metals output shrank 7.3% year over year to 2024. The chart above traces the full annual series since 1997.
- What share of West Virginia's manufacturing is primary metals? Primary Metals is 9% of West Virginia's total manufacturing value added in 2024, per BEA state GDP-by-industry data.
About this data
- Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (public domain). National quarterly values are seasonally adjusted annual rates. Corporate-profit industry detail reflects inventory valuation adjustment without capital consumption adjustment, per NIPA table 6.16D conventions.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.