Virginia jobless rate remains unchanged; construction, manufacturing jobs down.

Byline: John Reid Blackwell

Aug. 30--Virginia's unemployment rate held steady in July, but construction employment showed a slight weakening after setting records for much of the year.

The unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in July, unchanged from June, as the number of jobless workers rose by 700 to 132,800, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday. The rate was the best for July in five years and was well below the national rate of 5 percent.

Construction dropped 300 jobs in July

The slowing housing market may have hit construction employment in July, the VEC said. One of the strongest industries in the state for months, …