By SHARON KILPATRICK

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

The latest figures show that the Rappahannock’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in December, 1992, compared to an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent in December, 1991.

A closer look at the figures, however, shows that these figures indicate that only 50 more county people are working, 3,159 compared to 3,109 in December, 1991. On the other hand, the figures show 144 fewer county residents unemployed, 230 compared to 374 in December, 1991. The difference is that there are 94 fewer people listed in the work force, 3,389 in 1992 compared to 3,483 in 1991.

There are various reasons why people may drop from the work force. They may retire or quit working temporarily to take care of children or other family members. In a recession, however, many become discouraged.

William Metzger of the Virginia Employment Commission in Richmond said that with extensions in unemployment insurance, a worker who has been laid off can collect for up to a year. That person will probably be kept on the unemployment rolls for three to six months longer. But if the person is not actively seeking work by going in for interviews or sending out resumes, he is eventually dropped from the work force.

Statistics are based on records supplied by employers, records from the local VEC offices and a nationwide household survey conducted by the Census Bureau, Mr. Metzger said.

He said that Rappahannock County, like many counties surrounding the Washington, D.C. area, has been affected by the loss of jobs in the construction industry. He said that in 1989 about 55,000 people were employed in construction in the Northern Virginia area. In December 1992, there were about 35,000 jobs in construction in that area.

“A lot of people in Rappahannock

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