Jobless rate trends are mixed in Virginia metro areas

Published April 10, 2014 by Robert Powell, III

Metropolitan areas in Virginia had mixed results in the latest round of unemployment statistics.

February figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission showed six of 11 metro areas with declining jobless rates, while rates rose in three areas and two were unchanged.

The rates are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they do not take into consideration seasonal fluctuations in the labor market.

The seasonally unadjusted jobless rate for Virginia during February was 5.3 percent while the national rate was 7 percent.

The Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., continued to have the lowest rate, 4.2 percent, which was unchanged from January.

NOVA was followed by the Charlottesville area at 4.3 percent, up from 4.2 percent in January.

Nine of the 11 metro areas had jobless rates of under 6 percent. The exceptions were the Danville area, 7.2 percent, down from 7.6 percent, and the Bristol area, 6.4 percent, down from 6.6 percent.

A breakdown on the rest of the metro areas shows:

• Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford: 5.3 percent in February, down from 5.7 percent.
• Hampton Roads: 5.7 percent, down from 5.9 percent.
• Harrisonburg: 4.9 percent, up from 4.7 percent.
• Lynchburg: 5.9 percent, up from 5.8 percent.
• Richmond: 5.5 percent, down from 5.6 percent.
• Roanoke: 5.5 percent, unchanged.
• Winchester: 4.9 percent, down from 5 percent.