Jobless rate down, but job picture still dreary

The unemployment rate in Culpeper County ticked slightly downward in August, figures released Wednesday by the Virginia Employment Commission showed. But there is still a sense locally that the job market remains bleak.

“Jobs are out there, but they’re not paying anything,” said Brenda Fincham-Butler, an employee in the Culpeper VEC office for 30 years. “It is really rough out there.”

In August, the seasonably unadjusted unemployment rate for Culpeper was 8.1 percent, down from 8.2 percent in July. In Culpeper, 1,704 collected unemployment benefits in August. February, comparatively, produced the county’s worst unemployment rate in 18 years, peaking at 9.3 percent with 1,982 people on the unemployment rolls.

Wednesday afternoon, about a half-dozen jobseekers were on the computers looking for work in the Culpeper VEC office, which serves the five-county region. One 50-something woman got visibly upset when asked about her job situation, confirming she was out of work, and claiming, “I believe it is age discrimination.”

Another man, 40-year-old Walter Blood of Culpeper, was looking into a maintenance job at Culpeper National Cemetery. He said he’s been out of work since December, pointing to a resume that included stints as a parcel delivery driver, a flagger with the highway department and in the warehouse of a local wholesale grocer.

“I’m applying for everything I know I am qualified to do,” Blood said, noting he prefers outdoor work.

A Culpeper County High School graduate, he went on to serve three years with the U.S. Navy in Norfolk before returning home and working a string of jobs he eventually lost for a variety of reasons. Blood said he submits job applications and gets calls from employers, but only to say the position has been filled or they’ll let him know.

“I never hear back,” he said.

Culpeper still led the five-county region for unemployment in August, followed by Orange County (7.8 percent); Madison (6.4); Rappahannock (5.8) and Fauquier (5.4).

The unemployment rates in Fauquier and Madison decreased 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, from July to August while it stayed the same in Orange and Rappahannock.

Fauquier County had the seventh lowest unemployment rate in the state in August.

Arlington had the state’s lowest level of joblessness at 4.1 percent, while Martinsville led the way with double-digit unemployment at 20.3 percent.

Statewide, the unemployment rate was 7 percent in August, according to the VEC. Nationwide, unemployment is at 9.5 percent.

The local outlook

In Culpeper, the VEC office stays busy, said Fincham-Butler. The local building industry continues to lag, affecting the employment picture, she said.

On the other hand, health care jobs are starting to make a comeback, Fincham-Butler said. In addition, state agencies like VDOT and the VEC are starting to hire again.

“Some of it is picking back up,” she said. “But there is not a whole lot out there with benefits and pay.”

Need to find a job?

The Culpeper VEC office, located in Meadowbrook Shopping Center, hosts a free job-hunting skills workshop Oct. 5 and 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. Topics include: how to find hidden jobs, setting up a budget, tips on interviewing, resume writing and labor market data. Stop by or call the office at 829-7430 to sign up.

August unemployment

State – 7%

Nation – 9.5%

Culpeper – 8.1%

Fauquier – 5.4%

Madison – 6.4%

Orange – 7.8%

Rappahannock – 5.8%