
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 18, 1993                   TAG: 9312180093
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SERVICE JOBS CARRY VIRGINIA'S GROWTH

Virginia's largest employment sector, service jobs, carried the state in October to one of its lowest unemployment rates of the year, according to a Virginia Employment Commission report issued Friday.

Virginia's annual job growth of about 1 percent has been pulled down by defense industry layoffs in Tidewater and Northern Virginia, blunting gains in service, trade and construction jobs, VEC economist Bill Mezger said.

"Services definitely is carrying things," Mezger said. "Probably 80 to 90 percent of the growth statewide has been in services."

The 16,500 service jobs gained in October brought statewide employment in that sector to 781,900. The predominantly high-technology business services led the field with 5,000 job gains. The VEC also reported large increases in health services (3,000 jobs), educational services (2,000 jobs) and engineering and management services (1,300 jobs).

Finance, insurance and real estate added 3,900 jobs statewide, with 1,500 banking jobs making up the largest chunk. Construction added almost as many jobs - 3,800 - to the state's gradual employment growth.

Among the losses in the October employment picture were factory jobs. Because of defense cutbacks, chemical plants lost 2,200 jobs, and transportation equipment manufacturing lost 1,700 jobs.

by CNB