Overall unemployment rate moved up to 3.6% with the biggest shift in Government, which lost 2,000 roles, based on the most recently available information published in June 2021.
Total employment in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA market declined by 2,270 jobs in May and the unemployment rate increased compared to the prior month by 40 bps to 3.6%. The national unemployment rate decreased by 25 bps over the same time to 5.5%.
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA unemployment rate is 190 bps below the national rate which is a positive sign.
- Unemployment in the market is 470 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
- Average wages (per hour) declined in May versus prior month by -14.5% and are up compared to last year at this time in the market.
Month over Month Unemployment Change
Year over Year Unemployment Change
For key employment segments of the market, total jobs declined by -7.8%. Key sectors include:
- Government: 23,600; -2,000
Employment Change by Key Sector
Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through May 2021 (Data published June 2021 and reports created on June 30, 2021). Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.
Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.