ROANOKE'S JOB GROWTH LEADS VA. FOR 4TH MONTH

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 15, 1993                   TAG: 9304150080
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE'S JOB GROWTH LEADS VA. FOR 4TH MONTH
February was the fourth consecutive month the Roanoke area led the state's metropolitan areas in employment growth for the past year.
Despite announcements of hundreds of layoffs scheduled to hit local companies this spring, in February the Roanoke area gained 3,400 jobs, mainly in business and health services.
The comparison, in a report issued Wednesday by the Virginia Employment Commission, compares employment levels with February 1992.
Roanoke "may not be able to hold onto this lead" when the full impact of Dominion Bankshares and Sears Telecatlog Center layoffs takes effect soon, said William F. Mezger, VEC research economist.
But Virgil Thompson of the VEC job service in Roanoke said he was not surprised by the employment growth in the past year.
Until now, he said, Roanoke has not had major layoffs. As a center of Southwest Virginia operations and distribution for many companies, "that buffers us a little," Thompson said. "They lay off in the towns around, but they won't in the hub," he said.
Also, diversification of Roanoke-area business "is a real help. That buffers us a lot," Thompson said. Telemarketing companies have added many new jobs here, he said.
A third reason for employment growth, Thompson said, is "a jump in the number of construction jobs."
Hiring for construction projects is ahead of a year, an indication of recovery from the recession, he said.
Construction has been spurred by lower interest rates, he added.
The Roanoke region's gains included 2,900 service jobs, 700 in government, 500 in manufacturing and 200 in the finance and real estate sector, according to the VEC. In the same February-over-February comparisons, the area lost 300 retail jobs and 700 in construction.
The state's over-the-year gain of 35,600 jobs was slightly less than the increase reported in January, Mezger said. Employment in February increased by 1,800 from January.
Much of the state's improved job picture this year comes from better economic performances in Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Northern Virginia, the VEC said.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB