Some 530 workers in Martinsville and Henry County will lose their jobs before the end of the year, when Stanley Furniture Co. halts furniture production in Virginia. The production lines will move to factories in Southeast Asia.

The job cuts will be "permanent but not immediate," said Glenn Prillaman, Stanley's president and CEO.

An increase in area unemployment can have a negative impact on property values, as homeowners struggle to pay mortgages or are forced to sell their homes to make ends meet.

Read more in The Roanoke Times....