Ellen Marie Hess
Commissioner
For Release: October 21, 2016
Contact:
Ann Lang, Senior Economist
Economic Information & Analytics Division
(804) 786-3177 or (804) 786-7496
Follow us on Twitter, http://twitter.com/VirginiaLMI.
Virginia’s Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate
Was Up 0.1 Percentage Point in September to 4.0 Percent
—Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment was up 13,400 jobs
between August 2016 and September 2016—
RICHMOND—Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up 0.1 percentage point in
September to 4.0 percent, but was down 0.2 percentage point from last September. The labor force
expanded for the second consecutive month, increasing by 19,690, or 0.5 percent, as both the number of
people reporting that they were working and number of people seeking work increased. Household
employment rose by 13,472, or 0.3 percent, after declining the previous six months, and the number of
unemployed rose by 6,218, or 3.8 percent. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues
below the national rate, which was up 0.1 percent in September to 5.0 percent.
Virginia’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 13,400 jobs in September to a
total of 3,945,300. With the release of September’s job figures, the preliminary August job gain was revised
downward by 1,300 jobs to a gain of 11,800 jobs from an initially reported increase of 13,100 jobs. However,
over the past four months, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment has increased, with the size of each
month’s gain exceeding the previous month’s gain. In September, private sector employment increased by
14,500 jobs to 3,229,300, while public sector payrolls decreased by 1,100 jobs to 716,000.
From August 2016 to September 2016, seasonally adjusted employment increased in seven major
industry divisions and decreased in the other four. The largest increase during September occurred in the
leisure and hospitality sector, which posted a gain of 5,800 jobs to 393,200. September’s job gain was the
second consecutive monthly increase; however, total employment remains below the March 2016 high of
396,700. The professional and business services sector recorded the next largest over-the-month
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employment increase, with a gain of 3,100 jobs to 726,900. The third largest over-the-month gain occurred
in trade and transportation, with a gain of 2,700 jobs to 677,600. Other job gains were: 1,700 jobs in
construction to 188,800; 1,300 jobs in miscellaneous services to 205,000; 1,200 jobs in finance to
200,900; and 100 jobs in mining to 8,300. The largest decrease during September occurred in total
government, which declined by 1,100 jobs to 716,000. For total government, the losses in federal (-800
jobs) and local (-700 jobs) government employment outweighed the gain in state government employment
(+400 jobs). Other job losses were: 900 jobs in manufacturing to 229,500; 300 jobs in information to
68,400; and 200 jobs in private education and health services to 530,700.
Nonfarm Employment in Virginia*
Seasonally Adjusted
Industry
Total Nonfarm
Employment
September
2016
August
2016
September
2015
August 2016 to
September 2016
Change
% Change
September 2015 to
September 2016
Change
% Change
3,945,300
3,931,900
3,864,200
+13,400
+0.3%
+81,100
+2.1%
3,229,300
3,214,800
3,152,400
+14,500
+0.5%
+76,900
+2.4%
426,600
425,700
427,100
+900
+0.2%
-500
-0.1%
8,300
8,200
8,900
+100
+1.2%
-600
-6.7%
Construction
188,800
187,100
184,800
+1,700
+0.9%
+4,000
+2.2%
Manufacturing
229,500
230,400
233,400
-900
-0.4%
-3,900
-1.7%
Total Private Sector
Goods-Producing
Mining
Service-Providing
3,518,700
3,506,200
3,437,100
+12,500
+0.4%
+81,600
+2.4%
2,802,700
2,789,100
2,725,300
+13,600
+0.5%
+77,400
+2.8%
677,600
674,900
658,900
+2,700
+0.4%
+18,700
+2.8%
68,400
68,700
69,600
-300
-0.4%
-1,200
-1.7%
Finance
200,900
199,700
198,200
+1,200
+0.6%
+2,700
+1.4%
Professional and Business Services
726,900
723,800
699,100
+3,100
+0.4%
+27,800
+4.0%
Education and Health Services
530,700
530,900
513,200
-200
-0.0%
+17,500
+3.4%
Leisure and Hospitality Services
393,200
387,400
387,300
+5,800
+1.5%
+5,900
+1.5%
Miscellaneous Services
205,000
203,700
199,000
+1,300
+0.6%
+6,000
+3.0%
Government
716,000
717,100
711,800
-1,100
-0.2%
+4,200
+0.6%
Federal Government
178,300
179,100
177,200
-800
-0.4%
+1,100
+0.6%
State Government
163,700
163,300
160,800
+400
+0.2%
+2,900
+1.8%
Local Government
374,000
374,700
373,800
-700
-0.2%
+200
+0.1%
Private Service-Providing
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
Information
*Current month's estimates are preliminary.
From September 2015 to September 2016, Virginia’s seasonally adjusted total nonfarm
employment was up 81,100 jobs, or 2.1 percent, surpassing the national growth rate of 1.7 percent. With
the September over-the-year growth of 2.1 percent, Virginia’s growth once again exceeds 2.0 percent after
falling below that threshold during the May to August period. In September, over-the-year gains were
recorded in both the private sector (+76,900 jobs) and in the public sector (+4,200 jobs).
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Compared to a year ago, on a seasonally adjusted basis, eight of the eleven major industry
divisions experienced employment gains, while three experienced employment losses. The largest over-theyear job gain occurred in professional and business services, up 27,800 jobs, or 4.0 percent. The next
largest over-the-year job gain occurred in trade and transportation, up 18,700 jobs, or 2.8 percent.
Private education and health services posted the third largest over-the-year job gain, up 17,500 jobs,
or 3.4 percent. Other gains were in miscellaneous services, up 6,000 jobs, or 3.0 percent; leisure and
hospitality, up 5,900 jobs, or 1.5 percent; total government, up 4,200 jobs, or 0.6 percent; construction,
up 4,000 jobs, or 2.2 percent; and finance, up 2,700 jobs, or 1.4 percent. Employment gains occurred in all
levels of government: state (+2,900 jobs), federal (+1,100 jobs), and local (+200 jobs). Compared to a-yearago September, the largest job loss occurred in manufacturing, down 3,900 jobs, or 1.7 percent. The 4,500
job loss in durable goods manufacturing outweighed the 600 job gain in non-durable goods manufacturing.
The other job losses occurred in information, which was down 1,200 jobs, or 1.7 percent, and mining,
which was down 600 jobs, or 6.7 percent.
Total Nonfarm Employment in Virginia*
Seasonally Adjusted
Area
Employment
September
2016
August
2016
August 2016 to
September 2016
September
2015
Change
% Change
September 2015 to
September 2016
Change
% Change
3,945,300
3,931,900
3,864,200
+13,400
+0.3%
+81,100
+2.1%
77,300
78,400
77,300
-1,100
-1.4%
+0
+0.0%
118,000
117,300
113,400
+700
+0.6%
+4,600
+4.1%
64,600
64,400
64,500
+200
+0.3%
+100
+0.2%
103,600
104,300
104,200
-700
-0.7%
-600
-0.6%
1,442,700
1,437,400
1,410,600
+5,300
+0.4%
+32,100
+2.3%
Richmond MSA
675,400
676,100
655,900
-700
-0.1%
+19,500
+3.0%
Roanoke MSA
Virginia Beach-NorfolkNewport News, Virginia/North
Carolina MSA
Winchester, Virginia/West
Virginia MSA
163,100
163,800
161,100
-700
-0.4%
+2,000
+1.2%
770,900
768,400
766,800
+2,500
+0.3%
+4,100
+0.5%
64,000
63,500
61,700
+500
+0.8%
+2,300
+3.7%
Virginia
Blacksburg-ChristiansburgRadford MSA
Charlottesville MSA
Harrisonburg MSA
Lynchburg MSA
Northern Virginia MSA
*Current month's estimates are preliminary.
With the new metropolitan area definitions, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment data
is being produced for nine metropolitan areas. In September, five metropolitan areas experienced over-themonth job gains, while four metropolitan areas experienced employment declines. The largest absolute job
gain occurred in the Northern Virginia metropolitan area, with a gain of 5,300 jobs. The Virginia BeachNorfolk-Newport News metropolitan area experienced the next largest gain, adding 2,500 jobs. The other
metropolitan areas that experienced job gains were: Charlottesville (+700 jobs), Winchester (+500 jobs),
and Harrisonburg (+200 jobs). The largest absolute job loss occurred in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-
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Radford metropolitan area, with a loss of 1,100 jobs. The other three metropolitan areas that experienced
losses were: Lynchburg, Richmond, and Roanoke, with losses of 700 jobs each.
Over the year, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment increased in seven metropolitan
areas, decreased by 600 jobs in the Lynchburg metropolitan area, and remained unchanged in the
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan area. The Northern Virginia metropolitan area
experienced the largest absolute job gain, up 32,100 jobs, or 2.3 percent. Richmond was ranked second,
with a job gain of 19,500 jobs, or 3.0 percent, and Charlottesville was ranked third, with a job gain of 4,600
jobs, or 4.1 percent. The other metropolitan areas with over-the-year job gains were: Virginia BeachNorfolk-Newport News (+4,100 jobs), Winchester (+2,300 jobs), Roanoke (+2,000 jobs), and Harrisonburg
(+100 jobs).
NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
Virginia’s unadjusted unemployment rate was down 0.1 percentage point in September to 4.0
percent and was down 0.1 percentage point below the September 2015 rate. Compared to a year ago, the
number of unemployed dropped by 4,377, household employment increased by 19,909, and as a result, the
labor force rose by 15,532. Virginia’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues below the
national unadjusted rate, which was down 0.2 percentage point in September to 4.8 percent.
Compared to last month, the September unadjusted workweek for Virginia’s 166,400
manufacturing production workers increased by 0.3 hour to 41.1 hours, average hourly earnings decreased
by $0.14 to $19.38, and average weekly earnings increased by $0.10 to $796.52. Compared to last
September, the unadjusted workweek decreased by 3.2 hours, average hourly earnings decreased by $0.87,
and average weekly earnings were lower by $100.56.
The statistical reference week for the household survey this month was the week of September 11-17, 2016.
The Virginia Employment Commission plans to release the September local area unemployment rates on
Wednesday, November 2, 2016. The data will be available on our website, www.VirginiaLMI.com.
The October statewide unemployment rate and employment data for both the state and metropolitan areas
are scheduled to be released on Friday, November 18, 2016.
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