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Southwest Virginia's Unemployment Rate May Be Misleading

Unemployment is going down in Southwest Virginia. But, that might be more alarming than you think.

Four weeks. That’s the amount of time you have to be unemployed and no longer even looking for work before you’re no longer counted in the official unemployment rate. A rising number of people in Southwest Virginia have stopped looking for work after four weeks and are now no longer even counted.

That’s why Laura Goren at the Commonwealth Institute says the recent drop in unemployment in Southwest Virginia tells a misleading story.

“When people are so discouraged that they give up on looking for work, we need to find ways to give people real hope of real future opportunities,” Goren says.

Shannon Blevins at UVA-Wise’s Office of Economic Development says one way to attract new employers to coal country is to sell Southwest as a virtual hotspot.

“Living in rural regions isn’t for everyone. But as I often say for those people who want to live in rural areas, it is the perfect place," Blevins explains. "Especially if you look at Southwest Virginia and some of the amenities that this region offers.”

One potential fix under consideration in Washington is a federal program aimed at communities hit by the decline of the coal industry. That effort would reclaim old coalfields and clean them up.

Another idea under discussion in Richmond is greater state investment in training healthcare professionals for the region, where finding a doctor can be a challenge.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.