Va. jobless rate unchanged in October

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's unemployment rate is holding steady despite a national economic downturn.

The Virginia Employment Commission says the state's jobless rate in October was 4.2 percent, the same as September's rate.

But unemployment was up from October 2007, when the rate was 3.1 percent.

Figures released Wednesday by the commission show that seasonal jobs and an increase in school and transportation employment kept the rate unchanged.

The national unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point in October to 6.1 percent.