Patrick County’s jobless rate for May was 4.4%, the lowest it has been in 2016, according to reports from the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC).
Patrick County had a total civilian labor force of 7,458 in May, with 7,127 people employed and 331 unemployed.
The rates for neighboring counties were also lower than usual in May, with all rates under 5% except for the cities of Martinsville, at 6.2%, and Danville, at 5.6%.
Henry County’s rate was 5% in May.
Other unemployment rates for May were: Carroll County, 4.3%; Floyd County, 3.5%; Pittsylvania County, 4.2%; and Franklin County, 4%.
The counties with the highest unemployment rates in May were Buchanan, 9.4%; Dickenson County, 8.7%; Wise, 7.6%; Lee, 6.1%; and Tazewell, 6.7%. Cities with rates above 5% were Petersburg, 6.8%; Lexington, 6.2%; Norton, 5.9%; and Hopewell, 5.7%.
The jobless rate is not an indicator of all the people who are unemployed. It reflects only those who are receiving unemployment benefits, not those who are no longer looking for work or who are no longer eligible to receive benefits.
