Area jobless rates go down

WINCHESTER — Local unemployment numbers continued to drop in November.

Virginia Employment Commission data released Tuesday showed Winchester and Frederick County jobless rates declining significantly compared to the same time in 2011.

The city’s unemployment for November was 5.9 percent — down from 8 percent from the same month in 2011.

In October, the city’s rate was 6 percent.

The numbers are a sign of a recovery in the market, said Jim Deskins, executive director of the Winchester Economic Development Authority.

Frederick County’s unemployment rate stood at 4.7 percent — decreasing from 5.5 percent in November 2011.

In October, it was 5 percent.

Both Deskins and Patrick Barker, executive director of the Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Commission, cited local company expansions as a factor in driving down the unemployment rates.

The local Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Navy Federal Credit Union and Kraft facilities all began adding positions in recent months, they said.

Clarke County’s rate was at 4.6 percent — a slight increase from 4.5 percent during the same time in 2011. In October, the county’s rate was also 4.5 percent.

Virginia’s jobless rate was at 5.3 percent in November, while the national rate stood at 7.8 percent.

— Contact Conor Gallagher at cgallagher@winchesterstar.com