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By Christian Wright
Capital News Service
RICHMOND – The state’s unemployment rate increased slightly in December, to 6.7 percent,
according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
That was up from 6.4 percent in November – and 5.1 percent in December 2008.
Though below the
national average of about 10 percent, the state’s jobless rate means that
274,900 Virginians were unemployed in December – an increase of 11,800 from the
previous month.
Unemployment rose in Virginia largely because of the loss of:
- 4,100 jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry, as tourist attractions, resorts and recreation facilities closed for winter
breaks.
- 3,500 government jobs due to holiday breaks at schools.
- The construction industry lost 900 jobs, and manufacturing, 700.
However, retail
jobs increased thanks to the hiring of temporary holiday workers, and the
number of service jobs also grew.
Among Virginia’s 10 metropolitan areas, the Danville area still has the unemployment rate – 11.8
percent. Northern Virginia has the lowest unemployment rate at 4.9 percent.
Among Virginia’s 134 cities and counties, the southernmost localities are still the worst off. Martinsville
has the highest unemployment rate of any locality in Virginia – 20.3 percent.
Unemployment Rates for Virginia Metro Areas, December 2009:
United
States: 9.7 percent
Virginia:
6.7 percent
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford:
7.5 percent
Charlottesville:
5.4 percent
Danville:
11.8 percent
Harrisonburg:
5.7 percent
Lynchburg:
7.2 percent
Northern
Virginia: 4.9 percent
Richmond:
7.8 percent
Roanoke: 7.3
percent
Virginia
Beach-Norfolk-Newport News: 6.9 percent
Winchester:
7.7 percent
Source: Virginia Employment Commission [http://www.vec.virginia.gov/pdf/newpres1.pdf]
For a list (and a map) of all Virginia localities and their unemployment rates, go to http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/press.cfm
and click on “Current Rates / Map.”
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