Virginia jobless rate up in December, to 6.1 percent

The decline in Virginia’s unemployment rate is over.

The state’s seasonally unadjusted jobless rate rose to 6.1 percent in December from 5.7 percent in November, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Tuesday. With seasonal adjustments, the rate stayed constant at 6.2 percent.

The unemployment rate, both with and without seasonal adjustments, had fallen in the previous two months. However, the December jobless figures for the commonwealth were lower than they were in December 2010.

Statewide employment has been declining from November to December since the recession, the agency’s report said.

The total number of non-farm jobs in Virginia fell by 7,100 last month, the commission said. Government and construction suffered the biggest job losses – 2,900 and 2,700, respectively.

The unadjusted jobless rate also rose for the country in December, to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in November.