New data was released by WorkForce West Virginia that says the percentage of state residents without a job continues to increase, according to The State Journal. The data, 7.6 percent of residents, were without a job in September. That percentage comes out to 60,800 people. The state’s percentage rate is lower than the national average of 7.8 percent but it is continues a slow increase since April.

The unemployment rate for the state was at 6.7 percent in April, which was the lowest point in the previous year. In May, the unemployment rate climbed to 6.9 percent. The rate hit 7 percent in June and 7.3 percent in July. In August, the rate jumped to 7.5 percent. In September of 2011, the unemployment rate for the state reached its high for the previous 12 months at 8 percent.

The report on employment for the state became a political issue almost immediately. Bill Maloney, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, said the following in a press release: “Earl Ray Tomblin proves he’s been an utter failure on jobs. Earl Ray Tomblin is a career politician, who never created an honest job in his life.  If we want any hope of creating West Virginia jobs again, we must get rid of Earl Ray Tomblin and his job-killing policies.”

Maloney went on to say that the cut of 500jobs in mining and logging in the month of September shows that the war on coal and cap and trade laws are killing the economy in the state. Maloney went on to blame the president and Tomblin for the job cuts.

“The Obama-Tomblin team crafted policies that killed jobs.While Earl Ray continues to support Obama, I will work to defeat Obama and his policies and bring jobs back to West Virginia,” Maloney said.

Maloney also discussed the thousands of jobs lost in mining this year and reports of 74 positions being eliminated at Huntington’s Special Metals Corp.

“In the past four years, unemployment has more than doubled in West Virginia. West Virginians can’t afford four more years of Earl Ray Tomblin.  As a businessman who created West Virginia jobs, I know what it takes to create good-paying jobs. I have a plan to take on the career politicians so we can fix our economy and create jobs again,” he said.

Chris Stadelman, a spokesperson for the Tomblin campaign, said: “Despite a difficult national environment, Governor Tomblin’s fiscally responsible policies and business tax cuts have encouraged companies to invest $6 billion and create 8,500 new jobs in West Virginia in the past 22 months. Internationally respected companies such as Macy’s and Gestamp already are hiring, but Governor Tomblin knows there is more work to be done. That’s why he’s committed to expanded worker training programs and improvements in education, while Bill Maloney’s only ideas are to impose new taxes on local residents and give tax breaks to millionaires who sell their companies and ship jobs elsewhere, just like he did.”