Virginia unemployment creeps up in May

Published June 20, 2014 by Robert Powell, III

Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate crept up two tenths of a percentage point in May to 5.1 percent, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

The commonwealth’s jobless rate had remained steady at 4.9 percent for months before May’s uptick.

Seasonally adjusted rates take into account seasonal fluctuations in the labor market.

The labor force rose by nearly 16,000 people during the month.

The May 2014 unemployment rate was a half percentage point lower than the 5.6 percent rate recorded in May 2013.

The national unemployment rate for May was 6.3 percent.

Employment in Virginia fell in six major industry divisions during May while rising in others.

The largest drop was in construction, down 3,300 jobs during the month to 175,000.

The biggest increase occurred in professional and business services, up 1,500 jobs to 666,400.