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November joblessness up slightly for region

December 31, 2009 12:35 am

BY BILL FREEHLING

The Fredericksburg region's jobless rate edged up slightly from the month before in November but remained below 6 percent for the fourth-straight month.

The regional jobless rate was 5.9 percent in November, compared with 5.7 percent in October and 4.5 percent in November 2008. It was the region's highest jobless rate in November since 1991.

The unemployment rate in the region--Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties--had been 6 percent or above for the first seven months of 2009.

The region's jobless rate in November was again lower than both Virginia's (6.4 percent) and the U.S. (9.4 percent). All rates are seasonally unadjusted.

The area's relatively low rate was driven by Stafford and Spotsylvania, the region's two most populous counties. Stafford's 5 percent rate meets the definition of full employment and was the eighth-lowest in the state. Spotsylvania ranked 10th.

The 9.2 percent rate in Fredericksburg, which always has a higher jobless rate than the surrounding counties, was 109th out of 134 Virginia localities.

The statewide jobless rate was unchanged from the month before. That's a good sign because many people are out looking for holiday jobs in November, said Virginia Employment Commission Chief Economist Bill Mezger.

"There was pretty good retail hiring" particularly in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, Mezger said.

Mezger said the slight uptick in the Fredericksburg region's jobless rate was likely due to layoffs in the construction industry, which always go up as winter approaches.

Mezger, who has been with the VEC for nearly 47 years and recently celebrated his 70th birthday, said yesterday that he is retiring. Yesterday was his last official day on the job.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com