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Job Slump Last Month in Maryland and Virginia

Don Rush

BALTIMORE (AP) - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says Maryland lost 9,000 jobs in July.

The government says the state unemployment rate increased to 6.1 percent in July, up from 5.8 percent in June.

Some 5,500 of the jobs lost were in state and local government.

The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation reports that the manufacturing sector added about 400 jobs.

The Daily Record reports that Maryland was one of 30 states have an increase in the unemployment rate for July.

Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Employment Commission says the state's jobless rate rose slightly to 5.4 percent in July.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is up from 5.1 percent in June and down from 5.7 percent a year ago.

Virginia's jobless rate has increased for the past three months. It had reached its lowest rate in February since November 2008.

The largest jobs increase was seen in construction and the only sector that saw declines in July was finance. Other areas such as total government, manufacturing and professional and business services also saw gains.

The Labor Department says unemployment rates rose in 30 states, dropped in 8 and was unchanged in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

The national unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in July.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.