The Shadow
Joblessness in the Alleghany Highlands was 8.1 percent in December, reflecting an increase of 1.1 percent from November.
In December, there were 817 people seeking jobs in the Alleghany-Covington Labor Market Area, compared to 707 the previous month.
Unemployment was up in all three Alleghany Highlands jurisdictions in December. Bath County had the lowest unemployment rate, 4.9 percent, up 0.9 percent from November; followed by Alleghany County, 7.7 percent, up 0.7 percent; and Covington, 9.2 percent, up 2.1 percent.
The Virginia unemployment rate for December was 6.1 percent. The national rate was 8.3 percent.
Arlington County had Virginia’s lowest jobless rate with 3.6 percent in December, followed by 4.2 percent in Loudoun and Fairfax counties.
The city of Martinsville’s jobless rate remained the highest in Virginia in December. The city’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 16.7 percent, up from 15.4 percent in November.
The Danville region had the highest unemployment rate among Virginia’s metropolitan regions at 8.9 percent. The Washington metropolitan region that includes Arlington and Alexandria had the lowest jobless rate of 4.6 percent. The Roanoke metropolitan region had 6.4 percent unemployment, up 0.4 percent.
December unemployment rates of regional interest: Botetourt County, 5.6 percent, up 0.7 percent; Craig County, 8.2 percent, up 1.5 percent; Rockbridge County, 6.2 percent, up 0.5 percent; Buena Vista, 7.6 percent, down 0.6 percent; Lexington, 10 percent, up 0.6 percent.
Also, Greenbrier County, W.Va., 8.2 percent, up 1.2 percent; Monroe County, W.Va., 7.4 percent, up 1 percent; and Pocahontas County, W.Va., 11.3 percent, down 0.9 percent.
