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Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped slightly from May to June as the state’s labor force continued to grow.

The jobless rate was 2.9% in June, down one-tenth of a percentage point from May and from June a year ago.

The state’s labor force expanded for the 12th consecutive month by 9,099 to set a new record high of 4,377,595, state officials announced. The number of people counted as unemployed declined by 1,036 in June.

The unemployment rate has been adjusted for seasonal factors that can temporarily affect employment, such as school closings.

Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to be below the national rate, which rose one-tenth of a percentage point in June to 3.7%.

From June 2018 to June 2019, employers in Virginia added a net total of 27,600 jobs, a 0.7% job growth rate that lagged the national job growth rate of 1.5%.

In the Richmond region, employers added a net total of 8,500 jobs from June 2018 to June 2019, a job growth rate of 1.3%.