ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607050047
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
The Roanoke region dropped almost to last place in an April survey comparing job growth in Virginia's eight metropolitan areas.
The Virginia Employment Commission said Wednesday the region's job growth rate of 0.2 percent beat only that of Bristol, which saw no change. The data cover Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County and Botetourt County.
Last year at this time, this region was tied for second place with Charlottesville. The Roanoke region led the state in creation of jobs during August and September.
Business leaders urged caution in early June when some of April's data were released, saying it was too soon to know if economic conditions truly were slowing. The unemployment rate for May, due out Monday, will shed more light on that question.
In the 12 months ended in April, the Roanoke region's trade jobs grew by 700, government employment rose 500, and services work dropped by 900 positions, for an increase of 300 jobs.
By comparison, the state job supply grew at eight times the local rate. Trade jobs rose by 18,200 to 705,800; services jobs grew by 33,800 to 896,700. The sector with the sharpest losses, mining, was down by 1,200 positions to 10,300.
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