Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 12, 1993 TAG: 9303120152
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
JANUARY DOLDRUMS HIT
Seasonal cuts by retailers, service companies and contractors pushed up January unemployment rates in Roanoke and across the state, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday.Roanoke's rate rose 1.1 percentage points to 5.7 percent of its work force. The state figure was up by 0.8 percentage point to 6.5 percent.
Despite the state increase, it was the first time in almost three years that unemployment was below the year-earlier level, said William F. Mezger, the agency's research economist.
A weak hiring trend that started in the middle of last year finally had an impact on the backlog of unemployed workers that developed in the 1990-1991 recession, he said.
At the end of January, Roanoke's work force was 127,600, down 1,300 from December, according to VEC calculations.
January job losses are normal, Mezger said.
The number of people registered as looking for work in the Roanoke area was 7,550, up from 6,090 in December. In the state, the VEC said 213,800 were looking for employment in January, an increase of 25,400 from the previous month.
The main job losses in the Roanoke area were 1,400 in retail trade, 1,000 in services, 300 in goods-producing industries and construction, partly offset by increases of 300 in business services and 100 in finance.
Claims for jobless benefits have been moderate, and no significant number of workers has been on furlough because of the weather, Mezger said. He predicted little change in the February jobless rate.
In the Roanoke area, the VEC said, new claims were filed by an average of 298 people per week in January, down 75 from December. And 2,373 were drawing jobless benefits, an increase of 319 during the month.
The average factory work week in the Roanoke area was up 0.7 of an hour to 42.2 hours, the VEC said. Average weekly factory pay in this area was $526.23, up $15.78.\ \ WESTERN VA. JOBLESS RATES\ Jan 1993 Dec. 1992\ Bath County 18.3% 22.3%\ Bedford, Bedford County 6.7% 4.9%\ Bland County 5.0% 4.4%\ Buchanan County 13.5% 12.4%\ Carroll County 8.2% 6.9%\ Covington-Clifton Forge 9.3% 9.5%\ Craig County 8.7% 5.7%\ Franklin County 6.1% 6.3%\ Galax area 7.3% 6.6%\ Grayson County 7.0% 6.7%\ Lexington, Buena Vista 11.1% 9.5%\ Martinsville area 6.2% 6.3%\ Smyth County 11.0% 10.1%\ Tazewell County 10.4% 9.3%\ Washington County 6.3% 6.1%\ Wythe County 9.0% 8.9 %