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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 3, 1995                   TAG: 9506060054
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROANOKE JOBLESS RATE UP A BIT

Roanoke's unemployment rate rose slightly in April while Virginia's rate dropped to its lowest in nearly five years, 4.0 percent, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Friday.

"Good times sort of build upon themselves and normally April is the best month in the first part of the year," said VEC Senior Economist Bill Mezger.

Mezger said the increased jobless rate in the Roanoke metro area, from 3.0 to 3.1 percent, was insignificant, and attributed the increase to holiday-related layoffs during April. "3.1 is still a very low rate," he said, adding that Roanoke has the third-lowest rate for metro areas.

Mezger said that the week during which Virginia's employment was surveyed to compile the statistical report fell during the Easter holidays.

"Because of the industrial composition in Lynchburg and Roanoke, there is slightly more chance in holiday-type furloughs in the furniture, textile and apparel industries," Mezger said. These are "industries which traditionally schedule down weeks during holidays."

Holidays normally with the largest number of temporary layoffs are Christmas and the Fourth of July, he said. Also, unemployment rates usually are higher during January and February, and June and July.

"Because students come into the labor force, it usually pushes the unemployment rate up" during summer, Mezger said, while the January and February rates usually are related to "reductions in retail after the holidays." Spring and fall historically bring the lowest rates.

For Roanoke, Mezger said unemployment rates could rise to 3.5 percent during June and July.

Franklin County experienced a significant drop in its unemployment rate, from 6.2 percent in March to 4.5 percent in April. Mezger contributed this to a "few temporary layoffs during a week in March which were over by April."

Industries with the highest increase in jobs from March to April were construction and mining, up 5.5 percent; and business, engineering and management services, 4.1 percent. Finance, insurance and real estate job rates declined 1.1 percent.

by CNB