RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Employment Commission says the state’s jobless rate was unchanged at 5.5 percent in September. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September also was the same rate as a year ago.Officials say Virginia’s jobless rate has increased slightly for the past five months. Jobs decreases were seen in industries including private education and health services, professional and business services, construction, total government and miscellaneous services. Increases were seen in finance, as well as trade and transportation. Employment in leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and mining were unchanged.
