Unemployment figures dropping

Virginia's statewide unemployment rate is slowly decreasing, according to a recently released report from the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Following the trend, the unemployment rate in Orange County is also decreasing.
While the national unemployment rate for April, the last reported month, was 9.5 percent, according to the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent. This is a decrease from March's rate of 7.3 percent, with the number of unemployed workers decreasing 4,100. However, the unemployment rate is still higher than it was last April when the unemployment rate was 6.3 percent..
The number of Virginia residents drawing unemployment benefits in April was 71,786, down 7,365 from the previous month and way down from 101,371 last April.
According to VEC Senior Economist Ann D. Lang, nonagricultural employment rose by 41,800 jobs in April. However, the leisure and hospitality industry experienced the largest monthly employment gain, increasing by 12,100 jobs statewide to 339,000 total. This is largely due to springtime events, tours and staff at theme parks.
Other industries experiencing job gains were professional and business services (increasing by 11,400 jobs to 641,500); construction (increasing by 7,800 to 180,800); trade and transportation (increasing by 4,800 to 612,300); and government (3,100 to 704,800). Finance, manufacturing and miscellaneous services also experienced job gains.
Locally, the unemployment rate is also decreasing. While the April numbers won't be released for localities until later this week, the March unadjusted unemployment rate for Orange County was 8.8 percent, down from the February rate of 9.3 percent, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. Out of 15,701 eligible workers in the county, 1,388 are unemployed.
According to Orange County Social Services Employment Specialist Kathy Pullen, available work in the county is sparse.
"There is not a lot of work right now around Orange," she said. "I've heard some industries are picking up but [the availabilities now] are mostly little spotty stuff coming in. It can be discouraging."
Pullen said she's advising people who are seeking work to think outside the box. She said if possible, being retrained in the medical field is well worth it and people are taking notice.
"We've had over 300 calls on [medical training]," she said. "The health field is huge right now. If you can, it's a good idea to go that way."
Orange County Social Services offers job search assistance on Mondays. Interested parties must be at the social services office by 9 a.m. to take advantage of the program. Also, those seeking employment can visit the Virginia Employment Commission's website at www.vawc.virginia.gov or call the local office in Culpeper at 540-829-7430 for assistance.
Among Virginia's 134 individual jurisdictions, Arlington County had the lowest March jobless rate at 4.8 percent. Locally, Greene County had an unemployment rate of 6.6; Madison County's was 7.5; and Culpeper was 9.2.