Post-pandemic structural change in West Virginia forest products industry: Evidence from 2019-2024 IMPLAN data
Main Article Content
Keywords
economic contribution analysis, forest products industry, IMPLAN, input-output model, labor productivity, pandemic
Abstract
The forest products industry (FPI) is a key component of West Virginia’s economy, yet its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery remains only partially understood. This study examines the economic contributions and structural evolution of West Virginia’s FPI from 2019 to 2024 using IMPLAN input–output analysis. Economic contributions are evaluated in terms of employment, output, value added, and labor income across seven major sectors spanning upstream (forestry and logging) and downstream (wood manufacturing, furniture, and paper-related industries) activities. Results indicate that the industry experienced a strong post-pandemic recovery in output and value added, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 2022–2023, while employment continued to decline through 2024. Direct employment decreased by 18.3%, whereas direct value added increased by approximately 36%, accompanied by substantial gains in labor productivity. These trends suggest a structural shift toward more capital-intensive and efficiency-driven production. Sector-level analysis reveals divergent trajectories across the value chain. Downstream sectors, particularly primary and secondary solid wood products, drove growth and productivity gains, while upstream sectors exhibited persistent contraction, raising concerns about long-term supply chain capacity. Paper-related industries showed high productivity but declining economic scale, reflecting ongoing structural changes in product demand. Overall, the findings indicate that the post-pandemic evolution of the FPI reflects structural reorganization rather than a simple return to pre-pandemic conditions. The results highlight the importance of supporting both downstream innovation and upstream capacity, as well as workforce development, to sustain long-term competitiveness in the industry.
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Azenui B, Hlatshwayo S, Spence M. 2025. Economic tectonics: a closer look at structural change and productivity trends in the U.S. economy. https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229018104.001
Banaś J, Utnik-Banaś K, Zięba S, Janeczko K. 2021. Assessing the technical efficiency of timber production during the transition from a production-oriented management model to a multifunctional one: a case from Poland 1990-2019. Forests. 12(9):1287. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12091287
Barrette J, Achim A, Auty D. 2023. Impact of intensive forest management practices on wood quality from conifers: literature review and reflection on future challenges. Curr For Rep. 9(2):101-130.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-023-00181-6
BenDor T, Lester TW, Livengood A, Davis A, Yonavjak L. 2015. Estimating the size and impact of the ecological restoration economy. PLoS One. 10(6):e0128339. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128339
Berman A, Plemmons R. 1979. Nonnegative matrices in the mathematical sciences. London (UK): Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2013-0-10361-3
Bowe SA, Ballweg JM, Blinn CR, Nolle DA, Smail RA. 2025. The logging sector in Minnesota and Wisconsin: status, issues, and challenges in 2021. J For. 123(1):41-62. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvx014
Bowman T, Jeffers S, Naka K. 2023. Characteristics and concerns of logging businesses in the Southeastern United States: results from a state-wide survey from Alabama. Forests. 14(9):1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091695
Brandeis C, Hodges DG. 2015. Forest sector and primary forest products industry contributions to the economies of the Southern states: 2011 update. J For. 113(2):205-209. https://doi.org/10.5849/jof.14-054
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Chizmar S, Parajuli R, Bruck S, Frey G, Sills E. 2024. Forest-based employment in the Southern United States amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: a causal inference analysis. Forest Sci. 70(1):23-36. https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad042
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Conrad JL IV, Greene WD, Hiesl P. 2024. Georgia and Florida logging businesses persevere through pandemic, rising costs, and uncertainty. Forest Sci. 70(1):47-56. https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad050
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de Vries K, Erumban A, van Ark B. 2021. Productivity and the pandemic: short-term disruptions and long-term implications. Int Econ Econ Policy. 18(3):541-570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10368-021-00515-4
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FAO. 2020. Impacts of COVID-19 on wood value chains and forest sector response. Rome (IT): FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1987en
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Guta D, Nelson H, Scorah H. 2026. Productivity of Canadian forest product industries: panel data evidence from five major provinces. J For Econ. 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFE-05-2025-0605
He M, Smidt M, Li W, Zhang Y. 2021. Logging industry in the United States: employment and profitability. Forests. 12(12):1720. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121720
Herrendorf B, Rogerson R, Valentinyi A. 2022. New evidence on sectoral labor productivity: implications for industrialization and development. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4056788
Hurmekoski E, Jonsson R, Korhonen J, Jänis J, Mäkinen M, Leskinen P, Hetemäki L. 2018. Diversification of the forest industries: role of new wood-based products. Can J For Res. 48(12):1417-1432.
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2018-0116
Hussain J, Bernard JT. 2017. Regional productivity convergence: pulp and paper industries in US, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. J For Econ. 28:49-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfe.2017.04.005
IMPLAN. 2021. 2020 data season is here. Available from: https://blog.implan.com/2020-implan-data. Accessed 2026 May 6.
IMPLAN. 2023. ICA: introduction to industry contribution analysis. Available from: https://support.implan.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025854654-ICA-Introduction-to-Industry-Contribution-Analysis. Accessed 2026 May 6.
Jayasundara M, Kadam P, Dwivedi P. 2024. The impact of COVID-19 on the global forestry sector: a bibliometric review. For Policy Econ. 158:103103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103103
Knight CRD, Bolding MC, Conrad JL, Barrett SM. 2024. Log truck transportation challenges and innovative solutions. Int J For Eng. 35(1):113-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/14942119.2023.2273123
Kogler C, Beiglböck A, Rauch P. 2025. An empirical study of resilience in Austrian wood transport. Transp Res Part A. 191:104303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2024.104303
Kuzman MK, Oblak L, Glavonjić B, Barčić AP, Obućina M, Haviarova E, Grošelj P. 2023. Impact of COVID-19 on wood-based products industry in Southeastern Europe. Wood Mater Sci Eng. 18(3):1115-1126. https://doi.org/10.1080/17480272.2022.2109210
Lawder D, Shepardson D. 2025 Sep 30. Trump sets 10% tariff on lumber imports, 25% on cabinets and furniture. Reuters. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-sets-10-tariff-lumber-imports-higher-rates-wooden-products-2025-09-30/
Li Y, Mei B, Linhares-Juvenal T. 2019. The economic contribution of the world's forest sector. For Policy Econ. 100:236-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2019.01.004
Markets R and. 2024 Jun 6. Global wood furniture market on the rise: projected to reach US$ 413.5 billion by 2032. GlobeNewswire. Available from:
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/06/06/2894523/28124/en/Global-Wood-Furniture-Market-On-the-Rise-Projected-to-Reach-US-413-5-Billion-by-2032.html
Mensah P, Pimenta AS, Melo RR de, Amponsah J, Tuo G, Chakurah I, Ampadu SD, Buckman I, Nikoi M, Minkah E, Miranda N de O, Medeiros PL de. 2025. The global supply chain of wood products: a literature review. Forests. 16(7):1036. https://doi.org/10.3390/f16071036
Miller RE, Blair PD. 2009. Input-output analysis: foundations and extensions. 2nd ed. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511626982
Nealy M. 2023 Sep 20. Economic effects & multipliers. IMPLAN Support. Available from: https://support.implan.com/hc/en-us/articles/18944332362523-Economic-Effects-Multipliers
Parajuli RJ, Henderson JE, Tanger SM, Joshi O, Dahal RP. 2018. Economic contribution analysis of the forest products industry. J For. 116(6):1-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvy047
Pelkki M, Guitierrez A. n.d. Arkansas Forest Industry Productivity: a 20-year assessment. Arkansas Center for Forest Business fact sheets. Available from: https://www.uamont.edu/academics/CFANR/acfb_factsheets.html. Accessed 2026 Mar 13.
Poudel J, Dahal R. 2025. A comprehensive look at the forest products industry's economic contribution to the United States: pre- and post-COVID analysis. For Policy Econ. 172:103440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103440
Prestemon J. 2022. COVID-19 and forest products. ORMS Today. Available from: https://pubsonline.informs.org/do/10.1287/orms.2026.01.04
Sinclair P, Dubois M. 2020. One engineer and a dog: technological change and social restructuring in Alabama's pulp and paper industry. Available from: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/One-Engineer-and-a-Dog%3A-Technological-Change-and-in-Sinclair-Dubois/9cc15f1550f50f3beb67ff9d49692755fdbb0967
Sorenson CB, Keegan CE, Morgan TA, McIver CP, Niccolucci MJ. 2016. Employment and wage impacts of timber harvesting and processing in the United States. J For. 114(4):474-482. https://doi.org/10.5849/jof.14-082
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Jun 12, 2026
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Gazal, K., Hubbart, J., Deskins, J., & Spong, B. (2026). Post-pandemic structural change in West Virginia forest products industry: Evidence from 2019-2024 IMPLAN data. Journal of Forest Business Research, 5(1), 32–60. https://doi.org/10.62320/jfbr.v5i1.91
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