Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 25, 1995 TAG: 9510250068
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Virginia Employment Commission reported the driving forces were continuing strong gains in the trade sector, which was up 6.3 percent or 2,200 workers in August over August 1994, and services, up 3.3 percent or 1,300 people.
The reason, the VEC pointed out, is that the Roanoke Valley is the primary provider of trade and services for Western Virginia, a region much larger than the immediate area.
Also, Roanoke currently is enjoying renewed job growth in manufacturing, up 5.9 percent or 1,100, and in construction, which gained 6.4 percent or 500 jobs. The commission said it also noted smaller job gains here in the finance and transportation sectors.
Virginians held a total of 3,067,700 jobs in August, an increase of 56,300 positions above the August 1994 level, according to the VEC report.
The private sector saw strong annual employment growth of 762,400 or 3 percent.
Services, at 881,900 jobs statewide, showed the largest number of positions added since the prior August with a gain of 4.4 percent. Services was responsible for 65.9 percent of all August annual nonfarm job growth, the VEC said.
The high-tech, high-wage business services industry, which includes computer hardware and software specialists, was the services growth leader with a gain of 14,600 jobs or 7.3 percent.
Strong growth also continued in the other high-skilled, high-wage professional service categories such as management consulting services, up 5,300 or 5 percent; health services, up 3,800 or 2 percent; and social services, up 3,400 or 7.5 percent.
Trade employment, up 19,400 or 2.8 percent, to 703,400, provided the second largest August job increase. The major trade subsector gains were in specialty stores, up 3,700; home furnishing stores, up 3,100; department stores, up 2,600; and auto dealers, up 2,200.
Spurred by the boom in commercial building, construction employment reached a 59-month high of 180,500. This level was 8,800 or 5.1 percent above last August.
Transportation, communications and public utilities expanded 4,600 to 159,100, a 3 percent increase. Most growth was centered in trucking lines and specialty communications companies.
Finance, insurance and real estate added 4,000 jobs or 2.4 percent to reach 170,400. The August gains came largely from insurance.
Total government employment was down 16,100 or 2.8 percent to 557,200 because of efforts to downsize state government and ongoing federal defense cuts. August was also the low point in the year for local school system employment.
Mining employment, at 10,900, was 1,100 or 9.2 percent lower than the prior August.
Manufacturing employment of 404,300 was only 400 or 0.1 percent lower than last year. Fluctuations in textiles and apparel caused by off-week furloughs at a few Southside employers were responsible for the barely negative manufacturing figure. On the other hand, strong export sales and new plant openings caused an increase of 4,100 or 2.1 percent at producers of durable goods.
by CNB