ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, October 3, 1996              TAG: 9610030032
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON

ROANOKE: 2.6% UNEMPLOYMENT

The Roanoke metropolitan area had 2.6 percent unemployment in August, down from 3.0 a year earlier, state labor officials said Wednesday.

The data, for Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke and Botetourt counties, put the region second among the state's eight metro areas with the smallest jobless rates, the Virginia Employment Commission said.

The VEC estimated the number of jobs in the region at 138,600, with 111,300, or 80 percent in services, and 27,300, or 20 percent, in manufacturing.

The government said 3,430 people were looking for work, compared to 3,880 a year earlier, a drop of 450.

Salem and Roanoke County tied for the sixth lowest individual jobless rates of 135 Virginia cities and counties.

Bath County's rate was just 2 percent, tied for third place, because mountain resorts are at full employment and the high number of construction workers in the area are busy, said Bill Mezger, senior VEC economist.

Fall is a time of high employment, because construction crews are rushing to get jobs finished before winter, stores begin hiring for the holiday season and students are in class, rather than competing for work in the job market, the VEC said.

The state posted a 4 percent rate, its lowest for August in seven years.

LENGTH: Short :   35 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  3 charts by staff: Unemployment rates. 
KEYWORDS: MGR (3)