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Richmond Regional Joblessness Hits 4.7 Percent

The jobless rate in the Richmond region hit 4.7 percent in July as unemployment rose across Virginia and the United States, up 0.3 percentage points locally compared to June and up 1.5 percentage points from the previous July.

The jobless numbers were pushed higher in July as graduating college students entered the workforce and started looking for employment. Also, according to the Virginia Employment Commission , the number of workers on summer furlough was about 17 percent higher statewide than the previous summer.

While the rate of job creation has slowed, Virginia's civilian labor force expanded by 48,700 from June to July, establishing a record total 4,213,900.

Among Virginia's 10 metropolitan regions, Danville had the highest unemployment rate in July, at 8.2 percent, and Northern Virginia had the lowest, at 3.4 percent. More .