RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Employment Commission says the state’s jobless rate rose to 5.6 percent in August. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is up from 5.3 percent in July and the same rate as a year ago. Virginia’s jobless rate has increased for the past four months. The largest jobs decrease was seen in professional and business services, an area which had seen gains over the previous four months. Decreases also were seen in trade and transportation as well as private education and health services. The largest increase was in leisure and hospitality. The Labor Department says unemployment rates rose in 24 states and Washington, D.C., fell in 15 and was unchanged in 11 states. The national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.
