Job Scene Improving in Southside

Danville Register & Bee
Published: April 3, 2008

February unemployment inched up in the Danville area due to furloughs during the President’s Day holiday, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
Danville-area unemployment raised from 7.1 percent in January to 7.3 percent in February, William Mezger, the employment commission’s chief economist, said. A year ago, the Danville area’s jobless rate was 7.4 percent.
Mezger said Danville is showing some signs of making improvement. Nationally, the Danville area was 329th out of 369 metro areas.
“Danville is up just a little, but I don’t see anything other than furloughs during the President’s Day holiday,” Mezger said. “Danville seems to be slowly improving.”
The reference week was Feb. 10-16.
The city of Danville saw the unemployment go up from 8.4 percent in January to 8.6 percent in February. A year ago, the city’s unemployment rate was 9.4 percent.
Pittsylvania County’s unemployment remained about the same during January and February. In February, the rate was 6.4 percent compared to 6.3 percent in January. A year ago, the unemployment rate was at 6.1 percent.
Martinsville continued to have the highest unemployment in the state. Mezger said. The city was hurt by previous layoffs and the new job losses in February.
Mezger said Martinsville’s unemployment rate was just shy of 12 percent in February compared to 10.4 percent in January. A year ago, the jobless rate was at 8.2 percent.
“Martinsville seems to have had more in way of furloughs than Danville,” Mezger said.
Henry County’s unemployment increased from 7.5 percent in January to 8.1 percent in February. A year ago, Henry County’s unemployment rate was at 4.9 percent.
Halifax County’s unemployment rate inched up from 6.9 percent in January to 7.1 in February. At this time last year, the rate was 7.1 percent.
While Martinsville had the highest unemployment rate in the state, Danville came in 4th and Pittsylvania County came in 12th.