Summer job seekers sent area unemployment rates up slightly in June.
The city's jobless rate rose from 3.6 percent in May to 4.2 percent in June, according to figures released yesterday by the Virginia Employment Commission.
The increase is due to an influx of high school students looking for summer jobs, according to William F. Mezger, chief economist for the VEC in Richmond.
"We did pick up a lot of the high school students, and they did join the college students who were already in the labor market," he said. "That pushed the unemployment rate up in almost all of the jurisdictions."
Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, both which usually report jobless rates near the 2 percent labor shortage level, also saw slightly higher rates in June. Stafford's rate inched to 2.3 percent, up from 1.9 percent in May. Spotsylvania's figure rose to 2.3 percent in June, up from 2 percent in May.
Statewide, summer job seekers also boosted Virginia's unemployment rate in June.
The state's jobless rate rose from 2.9 percent in May to 3.3 percent last month.
Among Virginia's 134 jurisdictions, Loudoun County had the lowest unemployment rate of 1.9 percent.
Danville had the highest unemployment figure of 10.6 percent. It was the only locality that posted a double digit rate.
Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, tied for the state's third-lowest jobless rate of 2.3 percent.
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