Virginia’s October unemployment rate has hit a 52-month low — 3.2 percent — and is tied with Florida’s for the lowest seasonally adjusted rate in the nation. According to the latest Virginia Employment Commission numbers, the number of unemployed persons fell by 12,000 in one month.
This is not just a Northern Virginia phenomenon fed by federal defense/homeland security spending, although NoVa has led the state in job creation. Employment in metropolitan areas is strong across the entire state, excepting only Danville, and even there it’s dropping. Here’s the wrap up:
U.S. – 4.6 percent
Virginia – 3.2 percent
Blacksburg – 3.3 percent
Charlottesville – 2.6 percent
Danville – 7.4 percent
Harrisonburg – 2.6 percent
Lynchburg – 3.5 percent
Northern Virginia – 2.3 percent
Richmond – 3.5 percent
Roanoke – 3.1 percent
Hampton Roads – 3.8 percent
Winchester – 2.5 percent
Other good news from the VEC: Wages for Virginia’s manufacturing employees increased 5.7 percent over the previous 12 months. A surge in factory orders caused the workweek to leap ahead by 1.4 hours to 43.6 hours.
