RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's jobless rate fell slightly in November for the second consecutive month.
The Virginia Employment Commission says the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.6% last month, down from 5.7% in October and 6.2% a year ago. In November, the number of people who reported working exceeded the number of unemployed Virginians, which expanded the labor force.
Virginia's unemployment rate has been trending down since January 2010, when joblessness peaked at 7.3%. It had fallen to a 3-year low earlier this year and increased during June and July in a pattern similar to last year. The rate fell in October after remaining steady for three consecutive months.
The rate is still below the national average, which fell to 7.7% in November.
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