We’ve talked a lot on this blog about Virginia’s ailing mill-town economy. But the real economic laggard is Hampton Roads. Based on July 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, all but one of Virginia’s metropolitan regions achieved job growth compared to 12 months previously. Hampton Roads lost 0.4% of its jobs.
Harrisonburg showed the strongest job growth, followed by Washington (which includes Northern Virginia), Richmond, Charlottesville, and Blacksburg, at 2.6% job growth. University towns, it seems, are doing just fine, as are Northern Virginia and Richmond. The smaller metros without a major university are growing but at slower rate.
Then there’s Hampton Roads. Here’s the BLS chart showing how the region’s job creation, never strong since the end of the recession, has dipped below zero several months in the past year. Job losses are concentrated in the following occupational categories: trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; and leisure and hospitality.
(I couldn’t find the numbers for non-metropolitan Virginia. If someone can point me to them, I will add that data.)
