ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601290015
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
Since the autumn of 1992, Roanoke area employers have created nearly 12,000 new jobs, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
Business services are, not surpringly, hot. These companies include temp agencies, architects and computing firms.
Combined, employment in business, engineering and management services has grown from 8,100 people three years ago to 14,000 late last year, an increase of nearly 73 percent. It's the fastest growing segment in the Roanoke Valley, according to state labor officials.
Temporary help firms, which furnish short-term workers for a fee, have so much business they sometimes struggle.
"We're in a shortage of good employees in this valley right now," said Beth Pinson, sales manager of Adia Personnel Services' five south-central Virginia offices.
Business services will continue to lead job growth through 2000 in Virginia, the result of the many new employers in the state, according to DRI/McGraw-Hill, an economic consulting and forecasting organization in Lexington, Mass.
Five other industries were cited by DRI/McGraw-Hill in an October forecast as having similar promise: medical services; transportation; advanced technologies; human services; and tourism and recreation.
Turn to our Economy '96 special section "The Way We Work" in today's newspaper for the rest of the story.
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff. Jeff Dixon (left), Sheila Cuadrado andby CNBJason Whitaker apply for jobs at Adia Personnel Services, where
their skills may be in big demand. color. Graphic. logo. color.