Hampton Roads' jobless rate up in September to 6.7%

Hampton Roads' jobless rate edged up in September to 6.7 percent from 6.6 percent in August amid seasonal cutbacks in the region's leisure and hospitality sector, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Wednesday.

The number of these tourism-related jobs fell by 4,500 in September, while retailing jobs in the region dropped by 1,200, according to commission figures.

M odest increases in jobless rates for the state's three large metropolitan areas - Hampton Roads, Richmond and Northern Virginia - were driven partly by a greater number of high school and college students looking for after-school work, said William Mezger, chief economist in the commission 's Economic Information Services division.

Jobless rates in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk were unchanged or fell slightly in September, while rates for Virginia Beach and Chesapeake rose, according to the commission. The figures released by the commission were not seasonally adjusted.

Cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other school-system employees returning in September provided a seasonal boost to local government employment, which grew by 2,300 from the August total.

The number of jobs in Hampton Roads totaled 766,300 in September, down 1,700 for the month and a drop of 4,900 from one year earlier.

One bright spot in the employment picture was an increase of 700 manufacturing jobs in Hampton Roads from August to September. However, the number was down 1,900 from the year-earlier total, according to the employment commission.

New claims for jobless benefits rose to 5,486 in Hampton Roads last month from 5,370 in August. In September 2008, the number was 4,099.

Virginia's unemployment rate rose to 6.6 percent last month from 6.5 percent in August, while the seasonally unadjusted nationwide rate retreated slightly to 9.5 percent from 9.6 percent.

Tom Shean, (757) 446-2379, tom.shean@pilotonline.com