Unemployment Down In Triangle Over Winter

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Unemployment in the Triangle over the winter months was generally lower compared to the same period last year, an indicator of gradual economic recovery.

December numbers in all three localities barely budged over the previous year, but January and February showed across-the-board decreases of half a percent or a bit more. Williamsburg’s unemployment numbers went down farthest, with February at 17 percent compared to 18.4 percent in February of the previous year.

Generally, the Virginia Employment Commission cautions that Williamsburg numbers can be misleading because the workforce is small (the city has a workforce of less than 6,000 people compared to just over 30,000 in the nearby counties) and some unemployed might accidentally claim a Williamsburg residency when they’re in fact James City County residents.

According to Doug Powell, James City County’s assistant county administrator, “we’re starting to see some signs of economic improvement, and a decrease in unemployment is one indicator. It’s especially encouraging that the timeframe is generally our non-peak period,” compared to the summer months which draw tourists to the area.

While the numbers are encouraging, he cautions that “recovery will likely be slow and gradual, and there’s a long way to go, from all we’ve heard,” thoughts that echo the county administrator’s recent budget message.

Most of the jobs lost in all three localities were in construction, management, food service, retail and seasonal jobs such as those with hotels, historical sites and museums, according to Virginia Workforce Connection data.