Jobless rates show little change

Published February 4, 2015 by Robert Powell, III

Unemployment rates in Virginia’s metropolitan areas showed little change in December, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

Two of 11 metro areas saw their jobless rates rise one-tenth of a percentage point from November to December. Another two saw their unemployment rates decline by the same percentage. The remaining seven metro areas had no change in their rates.

At 3.7 percent, Northern Virginia continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the commonwealth. The Danville area had the highest rate, 6.4 percent.

The numbers are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they do not take into account seasonal fluctuations in the labor market. Using that same standard, Virginia’s unemployment rate in December was 4.5 percent and the national rate was 5.4 percent.

A breakdown of the metro areas shows:

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford: 4.6 percent in December, up from 4.5 percent in November.
Bristol: 5.3 percent, unchanged.
Charlottesville: 3.7 percent, unchanged.
Danville: 6.4 percent, unchanged.
Hampton Roads: 5 percent, unchanged.
Harrisonburg: 4.2 percent, up from 4.1 percent.
Lynchburg: 5.1 percent, unchanged.
Northern Virginia: 3.7 percent, unchanged.
Richmond: 4.7 percent, down from 4.8 percent.
Roanoke: 4.6 percent, down from 4.7 percent.
Winchester: 4.1 percent, unchanged.

Among localities throughout the commonwealth, Falls Church had the lowest unemployment rate in December, 2.9 percent, while Martinsville had the highest rate, 10.6 percent.