Roanoke, Virginia Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Roanoke fell 0.2 percentage points in May 2018 to 3.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower than the Virginia rate. The unemployment rate in Roanoke peaked in January 2010 at 8.1% and is now 5.1 percentage points lower. You can also compare Roanoke unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	May 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	3.8%	-0.1	-0.5
Virginia	3.2%	-0.1	-0.6
Roanoke	3.0%	-0.2	-0.8

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with May 2018 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Roanoke, Virginia, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Roanoke, Virginia Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Roanoke peaked in February 2010 at 12,734. There are now 7,967 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Roanoke employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Roanoke, Virginia) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	May 2018	Month/Month	Year/Year
Roanoke	4,767	-304	-1,190

Number of Unemployed Persons

Roanoke, Virginia Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Virginia Unemployment Rate	Roanoke Unemployment Rate	Roanoke Unemployed
June 2018	4.0%	—	—	—
May 2018	3.8%	3.2%	3.0%	4,767
April 2018	3.9%	3.3%	3.2%	5,071
March 2018	4.1%	3.4%	3.3%	5,130
February 2018	4.1%	3.5%	3.2%	4,963
January 2018	4.1%	3.6%	3.4%	5,374
December 2017	4.1%	3.6%	3.7%	5,706
November 2017	4.1%	3.6%	3.7%	5,798
October 2017	4.1%	3.6%	3.7%	5,871
September 2017	4.2%	3.6%	3.8%	6,034
August 2017	4.4%	3.7%	3.9%	6,182
July 2017	4.3%	3.7%	3.9%	6,115