The Richmond area's unemployment rate rose to 8.5 percent in January from 7.8 percent in December, the Virginia Employment Commission reported today.
A year ago, the rate was 6.9 percent.
The number of unemployed in the 20-locality Richmond region rose to 55,038 from 49,924, the commission reported. A year ago, the number was 44,408.
The figures are not seaonally adjusted.
On the same basis, the state's unemployment rate rate rose to 7.6 percent in January from 6.7 percent in December. When the data are seasonally adjusted -- a statistical techinique intended to account for the effect of normal seasonal changes -- the state rate rose to 6.9 percent from 6.8 percent. The state does not make seasonal adjustments for metro area and locality labor market data.
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