REGION'S RANKING ON RISE

Local June jobs data

Date published: 7/29/2010

BY BILL FREEHLING

The Fredericksburg region had the second-lowest unemployment rate in Virginia last month, according to data released yesterday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

The George Washington Regional Commission planning district's 6.5 percent jobless rate in June was second only to the Northern Virginia planning region, whose rate was 5.2 percent.

The GWRC--which comprises Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties--has been consistently placing third behind the Charlottesville region and Northern Virginia in the recent past.

In June, the Charlottesville region's jobless rate was 6.6 percent. That was the same rate as in the Rappahannock-Rapidan planning region, which includes Culpeper, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Madison and Orange counties.

The GWRC's 6.5 percent rate was also below Virginia's (7.1 percent) and that of the U.S. (9.6 percent).

None of the figures were adjusted for seasonal factors. The seasonally adjusted rate was slightly lower in Virginia for June, when jobless numbers typically increase from May as more students and new graduates enter the work force. Local seasonally adjusted data aren't available.

The June jobless rate in the GWRC was slightly more than May (6.4 percent) and June 2009 (6.2 percent). It was the highest rate for June since 1992, and was nearly double the region's 10-year monthly average.

Fauquier and Stafford both had among the 10 lowest jobless rates in Virginia last month. Fredericksburg's 9.7 percent rate ranked 101 out of 134 localities. Martinsville (20.2 percent) had the highest rate; Arlington County (4.3 percent) the lowest.

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