The Shadow
RICHMOND (AP) – Virginia got a boost from holiday employment and election work, but the state’s unemployment rate held steady in November at 6.4 percent, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Wednesday.
The seasonally unadjusted rate was well below the national average of 9.4 percent. The commission reported last month that October’s rate was 6.3 percent – the lowest of the year – but revised those figures to 6.4 percent.
The seasonally adjusted rate remained at 6.6 percent for the fourth consecutive month. Virginia’s rate was lower than all but seven other states.
The number of jobless workers was unchanged from October, at 263,100. The work force remained almost flat at 4.1 million, up by 100.
Extra holiday work in trade and transportation added 8,300 jobs in November. Government employment increased 5,400 for the month, boosted in part by state election workers.
But the gains were offset by losses in other areas.
The biggest decrease was 9,300 jobs in leisure and hospitality, as resorts cut staff after the fall foliage season. The financial activities sector also lost 1,200 jobs, mostly in real estate grounds maintenance.
The number of Virginia residents drawing unemployment benefits was unchanged from October, at 80,000. There were more new claims for November, though, with 36,017, compared to 32,427 in October.
The state’s unemployment rate has been declining since June, when it peaked at 7.3 percent. It remained much higher than November last year, at 4.6 percent.
Virginia usually sees its best unemployment rates in the last quarter of the year, so the commission was optimistic things wouldn’t get worse.
“December’s jobless rate may be as good as, or better than, November’s level,” the commission said in a news release.
Northern Virginia continued to have the lowest jobless rate at 4.7 percent. The Danville area had the highest, with 11.4 percent.
The unemployment rate in northern Virginia, Blacksburg and Charlottesville was down from October, while the rate in Danville, Lynchburg, Richmond, Roanoke and Winchester grew slightly. In Virginia Beach and Harrisonburg, it remained the same.
