Department of Numbers

Roanoke, Virginia Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Roanoke fell 0.6 percentage points in November 2021 to 3.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the Virginia rate. The unemployment rate in Roanoke peaked in April 2020 at 11.0% and is now 8.0 percentage points lower. You can also compare Roanoke unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 4.2% -0.4 -2.5
Virginia 3.4% -0.2 -2.4
Roanoke 3.0% -0.6 -2.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2021 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Roanoke, Virginia, National

Roanoke, Virginia monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Roanoke, Virginia Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Roanoke peaked in April 2020 at 17,301. There are now 12,799 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Roanoke employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Roanoke, Virginia) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Roanoke 4,502 -971 -3,801

Number of Unemployed Persons

Roanoke, Virginia Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Virginia
Unemployment Rate		 Roanoke
Unemployment Rate		 Roanoke
Unemployed
December
2021		 3.9% — — —
November
2021		 4.2% 3.4% 3.0% 4,502
October
2021		 4.6% 3.6% 3.6% 5,473
September
2021		 4.7% 3.8% 3.7% 5,588
August
2021		 5.2% 4.0% 3.8% 5,781
July
2021		 5.4% 4.2% 3.9% 5,961
June
2021		 5.9% 4.3% 4.0% 6,093
May
2021		 5.8% 4.5% 4.0% 6,102
April
2021		 6.0% 4.7% 4.1% 6,226
March
2021		 6.0% 5.1% 4.9% 7,467
February
2021		 6.2% 5.2% 5.0% 7,611
January
2021		 6.4% 5.3% 5.1% 7,800

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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