Table 3. Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, annual March to March West Virginia Total private Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs Year ended Net change(1) Total Expanding Opening Total Contracting Closing establishments establishments establishments establishments March 1994 309 14,462 10,365 4,097 12,377 8,589 3,788 March 1995 775 14,967 10,693 4,274 12,167 8,668 3,499 March 1996 268 14,024 9,864 4,160 13,757 9,865 3,892 March 1997 656 14,900 10,502 4,398 13,254 9,512 3,742 March 1998 184 14,236 10,149 4,087 14,290 10,387 3,903 March 1999 323 14,556 10,282 4,274 14,348 10,397 3,951 March 2000 99 14,854 10,720 4,134 14,215 10,180 4,035 March 2001 -680 13,772 10,173 3,599 15,146 10,867 4,279 March 2002 -372 14,286 10,495 3,791 14,460 10,297 4,163 March 2003 -311 13,573 9,940 3,633 14,673 10,729 3,944 March 2004 559 15,060 11,015 4,045 13,496 10,010 3,486 March 2005 -8 14,691 10,917 3,774 14,346 10,564 3,782 March 2006 299 15,143 11,168 3,975 14,008 10,332 3,676 March 2007 -61 14,437 10,715 3,722 14,895 11,112 3,783 March 2008 -355 14,087 10,531 3,556 15,093 11,182 3,911 March 2009 -712 13,092 9,664 3,428 15,959 11,819 4,140 March 2010 -668 12,725 9,519 3,206 15,140 11,266 3,874 March 2011 -297 13,957 10,645 3,312 13,549 9,940 3,609 March 2012 349 14,551 10,766 3,785 13,439 10,003 3,436 March 2013 -307 13,354 10,022 3,332 14,427 10,788 3,639 March 2014 -574 13,210 9,987 3,223 14,503 10,706 3,797 March 2015 82 13,708 10,020 3,688 14,066 10,460 3,606 March 2016 -408 13,246 9,933 3,313 14,328 10,607 3,721 March 2017 -227 13,110 9,565 3,545 14,496 10,724 3,772 March 2018 -93 13,354 9,768 3,586 13,961 10,282 3,679 March 2019 -147 13,619 10,081 3,538 13,775 10,090 3,685 March 2020 1,371 14,651 9,285 5,366 14,521 10,526 3,995 March 2021 284 13,454 8,826 4,628 15,794 11,450 4,344 March 2022 1,647 16,766 10,950 5,816 13,620 9,451 4,169 March 2023 1,291 16,643 10,740 5,903 14,695 10,083 4,612 (1) Net change is the difference between the number of opening establishments and the number of closing establishments.