And while some people are leaving the area, others are dropping out of the workforce, which is not reflected in the low unemployment rate, according to the report. The region's seven largest cities saw a drop in the labor force participation rate for workers ages 16 to 64 years old from 2009 to 2014, which follows a national trend, according to the report. Newport News saw a 4.3 percent decline while Hampton saw a 7 percent drop.