Unemployment rates inch up in Virginia metro areas

Unemployment rates in most of Virginia metropolitan areas rose slightly in June, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

Rates inched up in nine of the 11 metro areas during the month and did not change in the other two regions.

The average jobless rate for all of the metro areas was 5.2 percent.

The VEC numbers are not seasonally adjusted, meaning they do now take into account seasonal changes in the labor force.

Comparable jobless rates for the entire state and the U.S. for June were 5 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively.

Northern Virginia recorded the lowest unemployment rate for June, 4.2 percent, while the Lynchburg-area had the highest, 5.8 percent.

In most of the metro areas, unemployment rose by only one-tenth of a percentage point. In Lynchburg, the increase was less than one third of a percentage point.

The Richmond and Winchester areas showed no change in rates from May to June.

A breakdown of the metro areas show:

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford: 5.7 percent, up from 5.2 percent in May
Bristol: 5.5 percent, up from 5.2 percent.
Charlottesville: 4.7 percent, up from 4.5 percent.
Hampton Roads: 5.5 percent, up from 5.4 percent.
Harrisonburg: 5.6 percent, up from 5.4 percent.
Lynchburg: 5.8 percent, up from 5.5 percent.
Northern Virginia: 4.2 percent, up from 4.1 percent.
Richmond: 5.3 percent, unchanged.
Roanoke: 5 percent, up from 4.9 percent.
Staunton-Waynesboro: 4.9 percent, up from 4.8 percent
Winchester: 4.5 percent, unchanged.