WASHINGTON: The local unemployment rate fell seven-tenths of a point in January from the same time last year, according to data released by the Virginia Employment Commission Friday.
In the Fredericksburg-area, 4.5 percent of the workforce reported being unemployed, down from 5.2 percent in January 2015. All area localities reported a drop in unemployment.
Rates were higher in January than they were in December, when the local unemployment rate was reported at 4 percent. As is usual for that time of year, the higher jobless rate is due to cutbacks in the retail and the leisure and hospitality sectors after the holidays and winter break closings at schools, VEC said.
Caroline County’s jobless rate fell from 6.1 percent in January 2015 to 4.9 percent this January. The city of Fredericksburg saw a decrease from 5.8 percent to 5.1 percent and King George County’s rate fell from 5.2 percent to 4.7 percent.
In Spotsylvania County, unemployment dropped from 5.1 percent to 4.5 percent. Stafford County’s rate fell from 4.9 percent to 4.2 percent. The national unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down from 6.1 percent the previous year. In Virginia, the statewide unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent from 4.9 percent.
The Fredericksburg area’s unemployment rate has been trending downward since September 2011 and is now the lowest rate since July 2008, according to VEC. These numbers were not seasonally adjusted.
