Month-over-month unemployment rates in both Arlington and Fairfax counties ticked upward in June, according to new data, part of a regional and national trend for the month, with Arlington seeing the lowest rate in the local area and second lowest in Virginia.
The Virginia Employment Commission released figures July 30. Here’s how the two jurisdictions fared:
• In Arlington, with 159,414 residents in the civilian workforce and 3,576 seeking jobs, the unemployment rate was 2.2 percent. That’s up from 2 percent a month before and unchanged from a year ago.
• In Fairfax, which had 646,698 residents in the workforce and 17,789 looking for jobs, the resulting unemployment rate of 2.7 percent was up from 2.4 percent a month before and 2.5 percent a year ago.
Among nearby jurisdictions, joblessness also ticked up from May to June, rising from 2.3 percent to 2.4 percent in Alexandria; from 2.1 percent to 2.5 percent in Falls Church; from 2.4 percent to 2.7 percent in Loudoun County; and from 2.5 percent to 2.9 percent in Prince William County.
Across Northern Virginia as a whole, the jobless rate of 2.7 percent in June represented about 1.7 million in the workforce and 47,600 looking for jobs. It was 2.4 percent a month before.
Among Virginia’s 133 cities and counties, the lowest jobless rates for the month were turned in by Highland County (1.9%), Arlington (2.2%), Alexandria (2.4%) and six localities tied at 2.5 percent. The highest rates were in Lexington (5.8%), Petersburg (5.3%) and Prince Edward County (5.1%).
Forty-eight localities posted jobless rates under 3 percent, while 20 had rates above 4 percent and the remainder were in the middle, according to state data.
Statewide, June’s jobless rate of 3 percent was up from 2.7 percent a month before and 2.9 percent a year ago. The national rate of 4.3 percent in June was up from 3.7 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.
The most recent month’s figures are preliminary and subject to revision.
