Unemployment rates continue to improve across the region in the past 30-day reporting period with all localities reporting that its percentage of the unemployed are back in the single digits.
The unemployment figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission show that Martinsville’s rate decreased from 11.4% in September’s, to 9.5% at the end or October, but up from 3.9% a year ago.
The city of Danville is at 8.1%, falling from 9.7% in September and up from 4.5% last year.
Henry County continues to improve from 7.3% to 6.1% in October. The rate a year ago was 3.0%
Patrick County stands at 4.8% in October, down from 5.9% in September and up from 3.1% last year.
Pittsylvania County is now at 4.7%, an improvement from 6.2% a month ago, but still up from 3.1% a year ago.
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Franklin County continues to boast the best unemployment rate in the region at 4.3%, down from 5.1% in September and up from 2.7% last year.
The Martinsville Micropolitan area, which combines the city and Henry County, dropped from 8.1% to 6.7%, up from 3.2% a year ago.
Danville and Pittsylvania County combine to form the Danville Micropolitan area with a rate of 6%, down from 7.5% last month and 3.6% last year.
Pittsylvania County boasts the largest labor force of all localities in the region with 29,117. There are 1,360 people unemployed leaving 27,757 at work.
The city of Danville has the most unemployed people at 1,508, with a labor force of 18,639, leaving 17,131 employed.
Henry County’s labor force is now at 23,522, with 1,426 unemployed and 22,096 at work.
Franklin County has 25,484 able to work, 1,105 unemployed and 24,379 at work.
Patrick County has a labor force of 7,032, with 6,692 employed and 340 looking for work.
The city of Martinsville has the smallest workforce in the region at 5,599 with 5,065 employed and 534 unemployed.
Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined 0.9 of a percentage point in October to 5.3%, which is 2.6% above the rate a year ago.
According to household survey data in October, the labor force fell by 15,589, or 0.4%, to 4,276,695, as the number of unemployed residents declined by 40,454.
The number of employed residents increased by 24,865 to 4,049,466. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to be below the national rate, which fell to 6.9%.
Virginia nonagricultural wage and salary employment, from the monthly establishment survey, rose by 34,000 jobs in October to 3,898,800.
September’s preliminary estimate was revised upward by 7,700, adding to that month’s job gains.
In October, private-sector employment increased by 36,700 to 3,192,400, and public-sector payrolls decreased by 2,700 jobs to 706,400.
Employment rose in eight of 11 major industry sectors, was unchanged in one, and declined in two.
The largest job gain during October occurred in leisure and hospitality, with an increase of 13,300 jobs to 346,200. The second largest increase was in trade and transportation (+8,400 jobs) to 653,900. Other increases included professional and business services (+7,600 jobs) to 750,000, education and health services (+3,300 jobs) to 523,200, construction (+3,100 jobs) to 210,700, miscellaneous (+1,200 jobs) to 195,600, manufacturing (+1,100 jobs) to 229,500, and information (+100 jobs) to 65,900. Mining was unchanged at 7,100 jobs over the month.
The largest decrease occurred in government (-2,700 jobs) to 706,400. The decreases occurred in federal government (-3,600 jobs) and local government (-3,000 jobs), while state government employment rose from September (+3,900 jobs). Finance employment fell by 1,400 jobs to 210,300 over the month.
From October 2019 to October 2020, the VEC estimates that establishments in Virginia lost 164,800 jobs, a decrease of 4.1%.
In October, the private sector recorded an over-the-year loss of 137,700 jobs, and employment in the public sector lost 27,100 jobs.
Compared to a year ago, on a seasonally adjusted basis, 10 out of 11 major industry divisions experienced employment declines. The largest over-the-year job loss occurred in leisure and hospitality, down 66,100 jobs (-16%).
The next largest over-the-year job loss occurred in education and health services, down 34,800 jobs (-6.2%). Government experienced the third largest over-the-year job loss of 27,100 jobs (-3.7%). Within government, there were decreases in local government employment (-23,300 jobs) and state government employment (-10,000 jobs). Federal government experienced an increase in employment (+6,200 jobs). Professional and business services employment declined by 17,900 (-2.3%). Manufacturing lost 10,300 jobs (-4.3%) while miscellaneous shed 7,200 jobs (-3.6%).
Other losses were in trade and transportation, down 3,500 jobs (-0.5%); information, down 3,000 jobs (-4.4%); finance, down 1,100 jobs (-0.5%); and mining down 700 jobs (-9.0%).
The sole increase occurred in construction, up 6,900 jobs (+3.4%).