Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 6, 1993 TAG: 9303060158
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE LEADING STATE IN NEW JOBS
The Roanoke area led the state in job growth in January, the third consecutive month it was the highest among Virginia's metropolitan areas. The 3.1 percent employment gain was mainly in the services industry.Strength in business, health services and local government accounted for Roanoke's high pace of job growth, the Virginia Employment Commission said Friday.
For the 12 months ended in January, Roanoke added 3,800 jobs to boost the total area employment to 127,600.
But Roanoke probably will not hold the lead in job growth in 1993 after the completion of announced layoffs at First Union Corp. and Sears Telecatalog, said William F. Mezger, VEC research economist.
However, these layoff numbers have been partially eased by recent employment announcements.
While reporting employment figures, Mezger said the January unemployment report has been delayed until late next week because of problems in preparing statistics.
Additional jobs in such manufactured goods as furniture and machinery, as well as in wholesale distribution boosted Roanoke's totals, he said.
When job growth figures are averaged for the past year, the Roanoke area's employment rose by 800 jobs to 126,100 in January over 125,300 a year ago, the VEC said.
The largest average gain was 1,500 service jobs, followed by 400 more in government. They were partially offset by a loss of 800 in trade, 400 in construction and 100 in manufacturing.
In 1992, Mezger said, Roanoke's monthly employment was on the increase after March except for June, when no change was reported.
The state's average job total for the year up by 10,900 or 0.4 percent. Mezger said recent revisions of the 1992 figures showed that Virginia's economy grew at a slightly faster pace than originally estimated.
Services, the state's largest and fastest-growing industry, gained 23,000 jobs or 3.1 percent. This was one sector of the economy that continued to exhibit growth throughout the recession, Mezger said.
From January to January, business and health services and engineering management were the fastest-growing service areas in the state.