Unemployment ticked up a bit across the Valley in May, though the slight increases were called seasonal by a Virginia Employment Commission economist today.
Waynesboro still has the highest unemployment rate locally, at 9.1 percent, up from the 8.8 percent mark in April, according to VEC data released today. Staunton was up from 6.9 percent in April to 7.0 percent in May. Augusta County went from 6.4 percent in April to 6.9 percent in May.
Harrisonburg and Rockingham County were both in the same area, with the city going from 6.1 percent in April to 6.7 percent in May and the county going from 6.0 percent in April to 6.4 percent in May.
Charlottesville experienced the biggest one-month increase, going from 6.3 percent in April to 7.0 percent in May.
Albemarle County has the region’s lowest unemployment rate, at 5.3 percent in May, though that was up from 5.0 percent in April.
The state unemployment rate in May was 7.0 percent. The national rate was at 9.1 percent.
– Story by Chris Graham
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