West Virginia is a net exporter of workers to other states, according to a new study issued by the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

The report,”West Virginia Commuting Patterns 2000,”contains extensive data and analysis of West Virginia’s county commuting flows from Census 2000. The report also contains data tables for each county in the state, showing detailed commuting flows with other counties around the nation.

“A large share of our residents cross state lines to work, particularly to jobs located in nearby metropolitan areas concentrated in Virginia and Maryland,”said George Hammond, acting director of the bureau.

According to the report, in 2000 West Virginia sent 80,679 residents to other states to work. In contrast, West Virginia jobs drew 55,982 workers from other states. West Virginia imported the most workers from Ohio, while sending the most residents from the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands to jobs in Virginia and Maryland.

Further, the net outflow of residents from the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands to jobs in other states is primarily responsible for the state total net commuting outflow, the study states.

The commuting patterns in the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands likely reflect the attractive living environment and cost-of-living advantages in those regions relative to the larger core cities in Virginia and Maryland, Hammond said.

The report was funded by the Becker Fund for Economic Development Research and is available at www.bber.wvu.edu . It is also available in hardcopy format for $20. For more information, contact Patricia Bohon at (304) 293-7831 or patricia.bohon@mail.wvu.edu .