Hampton Roads might return to full employment by December 2015, according to a recent report by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

But if the region slows down to its long-term average job growth, the report said, it could take until November 2016 for full employment to once again be realized.

The region has added 9,300 jobs since December 2012, the report said. However, the region is now only 17,900 positions (2.3 percent) below the region’s previous employment peak of July 2007.

HRPDC economists said Hampton Roads’ seasonally adjusted employment grew by 1,200 jobs in December 2013.

The jobs gain resulted in a regional total of 762,700 non-farm civilian jobs, the report said, and was the second consecutive month of employment gains for the region. The region’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.65 percent in December 2013, from 5.84 percent in November. The improvement in the unemployment rate was driven by higher levels of employment an...