Jobless rates fall in nine of 11 Virginia metro areas

Published May 29, 2013 by Robert Powell, III

Unemployment in nine of Virginia’s metro areas dropped in April, following the continuing decline of the state’s overall jobless rate.

Northern Virginia led the way with a unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, down from 4 percent in March.

The second lowest rate was recorded in the Charlottesville area, 4.1 percent in April, down from 4.5 percent the month before.

The only two metro areas seeing unemployment rise were the Danville and Bristol regions. Danville’s April rate was 7.4 percent , up from 7.3 percent in March, while Bristol’s rate was 7 percent in April, up from 6.3 percent in March.

The rates are not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations in the labor market.

The unadjusted jobless rate for Virginia in April was 5 percent, down from 5.2 percent in March and 5.7 percent in February. The national unadjusted rate was 7.1 percent in April, down from 7.6 percent the month before.

In other Virginia metro areas, the April rates were:

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford: 5.2 percent, down from 5.6 percent;
Hampton Roads: 5.4 percent, down from 5.6 percent;
Harrisonburg: 4.6 percent, down from 4.9 percent;
Lynchburg: 5.6 percent, down from 5.8 percent;
Richmond: 5.4 percent, down from 5.6 percent;
Roanoke: 5.3 percent, down from 5.4 percent;
Winchester: 4.7 percent, down from 4.8 percent.