Virginia’s January Unemployment Rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 3.0 percent; Labor Force Participation Rate remained unchanged at 65.8 percent and Employment increased by 769 to 4,464,393
RICHMOND— Virginia Works – the Commonwealth’s Department of Workforce Development and Advancement – announced today that Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January increased by 0.1 percentage points to 3.0 percent, which is 0.2 percentage points above the rate from a year ago. According to household survey data in January, the labor force increased by 2,893 to 4,601,347 as the number of unemployed residents increased by 2,124 to 136,954. The number of employed residents increased by 769 to 4,464,393. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 1.0 percentage points below the national rate, which decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.0 percent.
The Commonwealth’s labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 65.8 percent in January. The labor force participation rate measures the proportion of the civilian population age 16 and older that is employed or actively looking for work.
In January, Virginia’s nonagricultural employment, from the monthly establishment survey increased by 7,100 to 4,281,000. December’s preliminary estimate of employment, after revision, increased by 5,700 to 4,273,900. In January, private sector employment increased by 2,300 to 3,510,200 while government employment increased by 4,800 to 770,800. Within that sector, federal government jobs increased by 400 to 197,100, state government employment increased by 3,300 to 166,300, and local government increased by 1,100 to 407,400 over the month.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment data is produced for eleven industry sectors. In January, six experienced over-the-month job gains, and five experienced a decline. The largest job gain occurred in Education and Health Services (+5,000) to 631,900. The second largest job gain occurred in Government (+4,800) to 770,800. The third largest job gain occurred in Professional and Business Services (+2,100) to 820,300. The other gains were in Information (+700) to 72,400; Leisure and Hospitality (+700) to 419,700; and Financial Activities (+600) to 220,300. The largest job loss occurred in Construction (-2,900) to 216,100. The second largest job loss occurred in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-2,100) to 676,300. The third largest job loss occurred in Miscellaneous Services (-1,100) to 204,400. The other losses were in Manufacturing (-600) to 241,600 and Mining and Logging (-100) to 7,200.
Nonfarm Employment in Virginia* Seasonally Adjusted
Industry
Employment
December 2024 to January 2025
January 2024 to January 2025
January 2025
December 2024
January 2024
Change
% Change
Change
% Change
Total Nonfarm
4,281,000
4,273,900
4,206,200
7,100
0.2%
74,800
1.8%
Total Private
3,510,200
3,507,900
3,459,000
2,300
0.1%
51,200
1.5%
Goods Producing
464,900
468,500
469,300
-3,600
-0.8%
-4,400
-0.9%
Mining and Logging
7,200
7,300
7,300
-100
-1.4%
-100
-1.4%
Construction
216,100
219,000
216,600
-2,900
-1.3%
-500
-0.2%
Manufacturing
241,600
242,200
245,400
-600
-0.2%
-3,800
-1.5%
Service-Providing
3,816,100
3,805,400
3,736,900
10,700
0.3%
79,200
2.1%
Private Service Providing
3,045,300
3,039,400
2,989,700
5,900
0.2%
55,600
1.9%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
676,300
678,400
674,600
-2,100
-0.3%
1,700
0.3%
Information
72,400
71,700
70,300
700
1.0%
2,100
3.0%
Financial Activities
220,300
219,700
220,800
600
0.3%
-500
-0.2%
Professional and Business Services
820,300
818,200
807,900
2,100
0.3%
12,400
1.5%
Education and Health Services
631,900
626,900
598,000
5,000
0.8%
33,900
5.7%
Leisure and Hospitality
419,700
419,000
414,900
700
0.2%
4,800
1.2%
Miscellaneous Services
204,400
205,500
203,200
-1,100
-0.5%
1,200
0.6%
Government
770,800
766,000
747,200
4,800
0.6%
23,600
3.2%
Federal Government
197,100
196,700
191,700
400
0.2%
5,400
2.8%
State Government
166,300
163,000
158,500
3,300
2.0%
7,800
4.9%
Local Government
407,400
406,300
397,000
1,100
0.3%
10,400
2.6%
*Current month’s estimates are preliminary.
From January 2024 to January 2025, Virginia Works estimates that total nonfarm employment in Virginia increased by 74,800 to 4,281,000, private sector employment increased by 51,200 to 3,510,200, and government employment increased by 23,600 to 770,800 jobs. Within that sector, federal government jobs increased by 5,400 to 197,100, state government employment increased by 7,800 to 166,300, and local government increased by 10,400 to 407,400 over the year.
For the eleven industry sectors in Virginia over the year, seven experienced over-the-year job gains, and four experienced a decline. The largest job gain occurred in Education and Health Services (+33,900) to 631,900. The second largest job gain occurred in Government (+23,600) to 770,800. The third largest job gain occurred in Professional and Business Services (+12,400) to 820,300. The other gains were in Leisure and Hospitality (+4,800) to 419,700; Information (+2,100) to 72,400; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,700) to 676,300; and Miscellaneous Services (+1,200) to 204,400. The largest job loss occurred in Manufacturing (-3,800) to 241,600. The second largest job loss occurred in Construction (-500) to 216,100 and Financial Activities (-500) to 220,300. The other loss was in Mining and Logging (-100) to 7,200.
Nonfarm Employment in Virginia* Seasonally Adjusted
Area
Employment
December 2024 to January 2025
January 2024 to January 2025
January 2025
December 2024
January 2024
Change
% Change
Change
% Change
Virginia
4,281,000
4,273,900
4,206,200
7,100
0.2%
74,800
1.8%
Arlington-Alexandria MSA
1,638,100
1,637,400
1,604,600
700
0.0%
33,500
2.1%
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA
84,100
83,900
83,900
200
0.2%
200
0.2%
Charlottesville MSA
125,800
125,500
123,000
300
0.2%
2,800
2.3%
Harrisonburg MSA
71,800
71,400
71,300
400
0.6%
500
0.7%
Lynchburg MSA
104,800
104,400
104,500
400
0.4%
300
0.3%
Richmond MSA
726,500
724,600
714,000
1,900
0.3%
12,500
1.8%
Roanoke MSA
168,300
168,600
166,200
-300
-0.2%
2,100
1.3%
Staunton MSA
54,000
53,900
54,000
100
0.2%
0
0.0%
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk MSA
830,500
827,000
818,800
3,500
0.4%
11,700
1.4%
Winchester MSA
73,600
73,600
72,700
0
0.0%
900
1.2%
*Current month’s estimates are preliminary.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment data is produced for ten metropolitan areas. In January, eight experienced over-the-month job gains, one remained unchanged, and one experienced a decline. The largest job gain occurred in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk (+3,500) to 830,500. The second largest job gain occurred in Richmond (+1,900) to 726,500. The third largest job gain occurred in Arlington-Alexandria (+700) to 1,638,100. The other gains were in Harrisonburg (+400) to 71,800; Lynchburg (+400) to 104,800; Charlottesville (+300) to 125,800; Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford (+200) to 84,100; and Staunton (+100) to 54,000. The only job loss occurred in Roanoke (-300) to 168,300. Winchester remained unchanged.
Over the year, nine metro areas experienced over-the-year job gains and one remained unchanged. The largest job gain occurred in Arlington-Alexandria (+33,500) to 1,638,100. The second largest job gain occurred in Richmond (+12,500) to 726,500. The third largest job gain occurred in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk (+11,700) to 830,500. The other gains were in Charlottesville (+2,800) to 125,800; Roanoke (+2,100) to 168,300; Winchester (+900) to 73,600; Harrisonburg (+500) to 71,800; Lynchburg (+300) to 104,800; and Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford (+200) to 84,100. Staunton remained unchanged.
Not Seasonally Adjusted Data
Virginia’s unadjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points to 3.1 percent in January. It has increased by 0.3 percentage points to 3.1 percent compared to last year. Compared to a year ago, the number of unemployed increased by 15,941 to 142,905, household employment increased by 12,031 to 4,422,079, and the labor force increased by 27,972 to 4,564,984. Virginia’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 1.3 percentage points below the national unadjusted rate, which increased by 0.6 percentage points to 4.4 percent.
Compared to last month, the January unadjusted workweek for Virginia’s 153,600 manufacturing production workers increased by 0.3 to 39.9 hours. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production workers increased by $0.08 to $27.59, and average weekly earnings increased by $11.44 to $1,100.84.
###
Technical note: Estimates of unemployment and industry employment levels are obtained from two separate monthly surveys. Resident employment and unemployment data are mainly derived from the Virginia portion of the national Current Population Survey (CPS), a household survey conducted each month by the U.S. Census Bureau under contract with BLS, which provides input to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (often referred to as the “household” survey). Industry employment data is mainly derived from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, a monthly survey of approximately 18,000 Virginia businesses conducted by BLS, which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data broken down by industry for the nation as a whole, all states and most major metropolitan areas (often referred to as the “establishment” survey). Both industry and household estimates are revised each month based on additional information from updated survey reports compiled by the BLS. For national figures and information on how COVID-19 affected collection of the BLS establishment and household surveys in April 2020, refer to the BLS January Employment Situationpress release for details.
The statistical reference week for the household survey this month was the week of January 12-18, 2025
Virginia Works plans to release the January local area unemployment rates on Friday March 21, 2025. The data will be available on our website www.VirginiaWorks.com. The February 2025 statewide unemployment rate and employment data for both the state and metropolitan areas are scheduled to be released on Friday March 28, 2025.
RICHMOND— Virginia Works announced today that 4,036 unemployment insurance weekly initial claims were filed during the week ending March 08, 2025, which is 40.1 percent higher than last week’s 2,881 claims and 81.1 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,229). Nearly 66 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (69 percent) were Manufacturing (619); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (509); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (256); Retail Trade (214); and Health Care and Social Assistance (200).
Continued weeks claims (17,681) were 0.1 percent higher than last week (17,671) and were 13.1 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (15,629). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (58 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,881); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,074); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,505); Construction (1,482); and Manufacturing (1,463).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending03/08/2025
Week Ending03/01/2025
Week Ending02/22/2025
Last Year03/09/2024
Initial Claims
4,036
2,881
2,473
2,229
Initial Change (%)
+1,155 (+40.1%)
+408 (+16.5%)
-426 (-14.7%)
+1,807 (+81.1%)
Continued Claims
17,681
17,671
18,179
15,629
***Due to technical issues, the Virginia map, typically found on page 3, is currently unavailable.***
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending March 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 220,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 221,000 to 222,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 212,817 in the week ending March 8, a decrease of 13,202 (or 5.8 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 10,890 (or 4.8 percent) from the previous week. There were 202,722 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
New York
15,086
30,051
-14,965
Wisconsin
3,926
5,668
-1,742
Missouri
2,580
3,486
-906
Kentucky
2,092
2,914
-822
Ohio
5,853
6,549
-696
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
California
46,807
42,062
4,745
Texas
17,753
16,315
1,438
Michigan
6,502
5,626
876
Virginia
3,470
2,881
589
Oregon
4,601
4,101
500
***The Virginia numbers noted here do not account for 566 claims which are Unemployment Compensation
for Federal Employees (UCFE) and Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers claims and
transitional claims.***
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims
for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions
in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades
of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
RICHMOND — Virginia Works announced today that 2,881 unemployment insurance weekly initialclaims were filed during the week ending March 01, 2025, which is 16.5 percent higher than last week’s 2,473 claims and 32.5 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,174). Nearly 72 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (60 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (390); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (218); Retail Trade (217); Health Care and Social Assistance (176); and Manufacturing (162).
Continued weeks claims (17,671) were 2.8 percent lower than last week (18,179) and were 11.7 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (15,827). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (58 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,822); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,138); Construction (1,576); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,523); and Manufacturing (1,354).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending03/01/2025
Week Ending02/22/2025
Week Ending02/15/2025
Last Year03/02/2024
Initial Claims
2,881
2,473
2,899
2,174
Initial Change (%)
+408 (+16.5%)
-426 (-14.7%)
-303 (-9.5%)
+707 (+32.5%)
Continued Claims
17,671
18,179
17,579
15,827
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy.
The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities.
Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending March 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 221,000, a decrease of 21,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 242,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 224,689 in the week ending March 1, an increase of 3,833 (or 1.7 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected an increase of 25,158 (or 11.4 percent) from the previous week. There were 214,424 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Massachusetts
5,267
9,256
-3,989
Rhode Island
987
2,990
-2,003
Michigan
5,627
7,559
-1,932
Illinois
10,057
11,066
-1,009
New Jersey
8,832
9,761
-929
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
New York
30,166
14,538
15,628
Texas
16,147
14,541
1,606
Kentucky
2,921
2,023
898
Arkansas
1,417
870
547
New Hampshire
896
400
496
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country. Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
RICHMOND— Virginia Works announced today that 2,473 unemployment insurance weekly initial claims were filed during the week ending February 22, 2025, which is 14.7 percent lower than last week’s 2,899 claims and 23.9 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (1,996). Nearly 70 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (61 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (362); Health Care and Social Assistance (183); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (179); Retail Trade (178); and Accommodation and Food Services (135).
Continued weeks claims (18,179) were 3.4 percent higher than last week (17,579) and were 15.5 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (15,736). Nearly 91 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (58 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,725); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,196); Manufacturing (1,610); Construction (1,596); and Health Care and Social Assistance (1,536).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending02/22/2025
Week Ending02/15/2025
Week Ending02/08/2025
Last Year02/24/2024
Initial Claims
2,473
2,899
3,202
1,996
Initial Change (%)
-426 (-14.7%)
-303 (-9.5%)
+596 (+22.9%)
+477 (+23.9%)
Continued Claims
18,179
17,579
17,288
15,736
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy. The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities. Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending February 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 242,000, an increase of 22,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 219,000 to 220,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 220,541 in the week ending February 22, a decrease of 2,997 (or 1.3 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 22,464 (or 10.0 percent) from the previous week. There were 195,774 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Kentucky
2,119
5,097
-2,978
Tennessee
3,092
5,658
-2,566
California
42,849
45,015
-2,166
Washington
5,930
7,849
-1,919
Texas
14,407
15,718
-1,311
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Massachusetts
9,179
5,448
3,731
Rhode Island
2,964
909
2,055
Illinois
11,028
9,527
1,501
Wisconsin
5,763
4,671
1,092
Iowa
3,073
2,213
860
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
RICHMOND— Virginia Works (the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement) announced today that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ December 2024 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reports steady conditions in Virginia unemployment and job openings.
According to the most recent BLS JOLTS survey data, the number of December 2024 job hires in Virginia increased by 8,000 over the month but were eight percent lower than a year earlier. BLS JOLTS data provides information on all the pieces that go into the net change in the number of jobs. These components include job openings, hires, layoffs, voluntary quits, and other job separations (including retirements and worker deaths). Putting those components together reveals the overall change in payroll employment. JOLTS data is seasonally adjusted and describes conditions on the last business day of the month. Current month’s data are preliminary and the previous month’s data have been revised.
On the last business day in December, there were 253,000 job openings in Virginia, seasonally adjusted, a decrease of 33,000 from November’s revised figure. Nationwide, the number of job openings decreased to 7.6 million (-556,000) on the last business day of December and was down by 1.3 million over the year. The number of job openings decreased in professional and business services (-225,000), health
are and social assistance (-180,000), and finance and insurance (-136,000). Job openings increased in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+65,000). Large increases in the job openings level occurred in California (-117,000), Florida (-73,000), and Colorado (-39,000). In Virginia, the December job openings rate fell to 5.6 percent, a decrease from November’s revised rate. The job openings rate was 4.5 percent in December 2024, decreasing 0.8 percentage point from 5.3 percent a year earlier, in December 2023. Among major industries, job openings rates in December 2024 were 2.5 percent in construction and wholesale trade and 6.4 percent in professional and business services. Nationwide, the largest decreases in job openings rates occurred in Colorado (-1.2 percentage points) and Maryland (-0.8 point), as well as in Florida and Virginia (-0.7 point each).
The number of hires in Virginia rose to 152,000 in December, an increase of 8,000 over the month but down by 13,000 from December 2023. JOLTS defines hires as all additions to the payroll during the month. In December, the number of U.S. hires changed little at 5.5 million but was down by 325,000 over the year. Hires increased in finance and insurance (+48,000). Significant increases in the hires level occurred in Pennsylvania (+32,000) and in Utah (+16,000). In Virginia, the 3.6 hires rate edged up from November’s revised 3.4 percent rate. The U.S. hires rate remained unchanged at 3.4 percent over the month. Large increases in the hires rates occurred in Utah (+0.9 percentage point) and in Pennsylvania (+0.5 point).
The Virginia hires-per-job-openings (HPJO) ratio was little changed at six hires for every ten job openings, lower than nationwide. This measure shows the rate of hiring compared to open jobs and is a proxy for time to fill positions.
In December 2024, there were 0.5 unemployed per job opening in the Commonwealth, compared to 0.9 unemployed per job opening nationwide. There were 7.6 million job openings in the United States in December 2024, a number not much different than the number of unemployed people, resulting in a ratio of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening. North Dakota and South Dakota each had 0.4 unemployed persons per job opening and Vermont and Virginia each had 0.5 unemployed persons per job opening. There were 1.3 unemployed persons per job opening in Michigan and Nevada, and 1.7 in California.
Total job separations in Virginia decreased by 3,000 to 139,000. The number of total separations nationwide in December was little changed at 5.3 million. The largest increases occurred in Texas (+127,000), New Jersey (+33,000), and South Carolina (+16,000). The decreases occurred in California (-131,000), Florida (-48,000), and Colorado (-22,000). The Virginia total separations rate was unchanged at 3.3 percent, remaining at levels seen in recent months. The U.S. total separations rate remained unchanged at 3.3 percent over the month. An estimated 91,000 workers quit jobs from Virginia employers in December. The number of quits was little changed from November’s revised figure. This was six percent lower over-the-year and five percent lower than five years earlier. In December, the number of U.S.
quits was little changed at 3.2 million but declined by 242,000 over the year. Quits decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-42,000). Large increases occurred in Texas (+105,000) and New York (+28,000). The decreases occurred in Florida (-90,000) and Colorado (-25,000). The quits rate in the Commonwealth was 2.1 percent and remained at levels seen over the last two years. Over the month, the U.S. quits rate was unchanged at 2.0 percent. The December ‘churn’ rate (the sum of the hires rate and total separations rate) in Virginia inched up by 0.2 of a percentage point from November’s revised 6.7 percent figure. This equaled the U.S. churn rate, which was unchanged over the month. While more volatile month-to-month, Virginia’s pace has been more active for over a year.
The number of layoffs and discharges in Virginia was 38,000 in December, a decrease of 2,000 from November’s revised estimate. This was down 12 percent over the year. Layoffs and discharges are countercyclical, which means that layoffs typically increase during economic contractions and decrease during economic expansions. In December, the number of U.S. layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.8 million. Layoffs and discharges increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+87,000), and in mining and logging (+6,000).
The Virginia layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at nearly one percent in December. The U.S. layoffs and discharges rate remained unchanged at 1.1 percent. For establishments with 5,000 or more employees, the layoffs and discharges rate and total separations rate increased. Large increases in layoffs and discharges rates occurred in Rhode Island (+2.1 percentage points) and New Jersey (+0.6 point).
On the last business day of December, JOLTS data in Virginia and nationwide indicated that job churn often slowed in 2024, with workers more reluctant to leave current positions. At the same time, layoffs remained low, providing a positive labor market signal.
Job Openings
Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets the following three conditions: (1) A specific position exists and there is work available for that position; the position can be full time or part time, and it can be permanent, short term, or seasonal; (2) the job could start within 30 days, whether or not the employer can find a suitable candidate during that time; and (3) the employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position. Excluded are positions open only to internal transfers, promotions or demotions, or recalls from layoffs.
Hires
Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month, including newly hired and rehired employees; full-time and part-time employees; permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees; employees who were recalled to a job at the location following a layoff (formal suspension from pay status) lasting more than 7 days; on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after having been formally separated; workers who were hired and separated during the month; and transfers from other locations. Excluded are transfers or promotions within the reporting location, employees returning from a strike, and employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.
Separations
Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and are reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations. Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer, including layoffs with no intent to rehire; layoffs (formal suspensions from pay status) lasting or expected to last more than 7 days; discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings; firings or other discharges for cause; terminations of permanent or short-term employees; and terminations of seasonal employees (whether or not they are expected to return the next season). Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths. Excluded are transfers within the same location, employees on strike, and employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.
Virginia Works plans to release the January 2025 analysis of the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for Virginia on Monday March 24, 2025. The data for all states and the U.S. will be available on the BLS website JOLTS page, at https://www.bls.gov/jlt/. BLS is scheduled to release the January JOLTS data for states on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
### Technical note: Effective with the release of May 2024 data on July 24, 2024, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) state estimates have been benchmarked and revised to include the annual benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data. Seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data from January 2019 forward are subject to revision. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) produces monthly data on U.S. and regional job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations from a sample of approximately 21,000 establishments.
For more information on the program’s concepts and methodology, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Handbook of Methods” (Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 13, 2020), https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/jlt/home.htm. For more information on BLS’ state JOLTS estimates, see https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jlt_statedata.htm. Definitions of JOLTS terms*
RICHMOND — Virginia Works announced today that 2,899 unemployment insurance weekly initialclaims were filed during the week ending February 15, 2025, which is 9.5 percent lower than last week’s 3,202 claims and 27.6 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,272). Nearly 74 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (64 percent) were Manufacturing (400); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (378); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (255); Health Care and Social Assistance (181); and Retail Trade (162).
Continued weeks claims (17,579) were 1.7 percent higher than last week (17,288) and were 11.1 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (15,817). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (58 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,622); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,181); Construction (1,592); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,535); and Manufacturing (1,382).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending
02/15/2025
Week Ending
02/08/2025
Week Ending
02/01/2025
Last Year
02/17/2024
Initial Claims
2,899
3,202
2,606
2,272
Initial Change (%)
-303 (-9.5%)
+596 (+22.9%)
+84 (+3.3%)
+627 (+27.6%)
Continued Claims
17,579
17,288
17,201
15,817
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy.
The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities.
Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending February 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 213,000 to 214,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 222,627 in the week ending February 15, a decrease of 10,118 (or 4.3 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 15,416 (or 6.6 percent) from the previous week. There were 199,337 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
California
45,623
50,545
-4,922
Florida
5,615
6,778
-1,163
Pennsylvania
11,322
12,482
-1,160
New Jersey
9,428
10,442
-1,014
Maryland
2,354
3,175
-821
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Kentucky
5,118
2,085
3,033
Tennessee
5,645
2,892
2,753
Washington
7,768
7,114
654
Michigan
7,734
7,274
460
Oregon
5,585
5,224
361
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
RICHMOND— Virginia Works announced today that 3,202 unemployment insurance weekly initial claims were filed during the week ending February 08, 2025, which is 22.9 percent higher than last week’s 2,606 claims and 24.5 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,571). Nearly 73 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (61 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (426); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (313); Health Care and Social Assistance (275); Retail Trade (204); and Manufacturing (169).
Continued weeks claims (17,288) were 0.5 percent higher than last week (17,201) and were 11.5 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (15,511). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (57 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,508); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,159); Construction (1,622); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,444); and Manufacturing (1,397).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending
02/08/2025
Week Ending
02/01/2025
Week Ending
01/25/2025
Last Year
02/10/2024
Initial Claims
3,202
2,606
2,522
2,571
Initial Change (%)
+596 (+22.9%)
+84 (+3.3%)
-336 (-11.8%)
+631 (+24.5%)
Continued Claims
17,288
17,201
17,203
15,511
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy.
The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities.
Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending February 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 213,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 219,000 to 220,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 231,006 in the week ending February 8, a decrease of 10,095 (or 4.2 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 1,761 (or 0.7 percent) from the previous week. There were 223,985 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Pennsylvania
12,451
15,426
-2,975
New York
16,243
19,162
-2,919
Wisconsin
4,831
6,295
-1,464
Ohio
6,380
7,564
-1,184
Missouri
2,994
3,971
-977
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
California
51,069
49,384
1,685
Oregon
5,552
4,848
704
Washington
7,114
6,474
640
Florida
6,486
5,962
524
District of Columbia
1,780
1,310
470
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
RICHMOND— Virginia Works announced today that 2,606 unemployment insurance weekly initial claims were filed during the week ending February 01, 2025, which is 3.3 percent higher than last week’s 2,522 claims and 2.8 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,536). Nearly 80 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (60 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (324); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (252); Health Care and Social Assistance (244); Retail Trade (189); and Construction (169).
Continued weeks claims (17,201) were virtually unchanged since last week (17,203) and were 14.8 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (14,987). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (57 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,418); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,124); Construction (1,625); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,433); and Manufacturing (1,389).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending
02/01/2025
Week Ending
01/25/2025
Week Ending
01/18/2025
Last Year
02/03/2024
Initial Claims
2,606
2,522
2,858
2,536
Initial Change (%)
+84 (+3.3%)
-336 (-11.8%)
-549 (-16.1%)
+70 (+2.8%)
Continued Claims
17,201
17,203
17,161
14,987
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy.
The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities.
Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending February 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 207,000 to 208,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 239,690 in the week ending February 1, an increase of 11,370 (or 5.0 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 208 (or 0.1 percent) from the previous week. There were 234,729 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
New Jersey
10,313
11,656
-1,343
Massachusetts
5,704
6,601
-897
Michigan
7,866
8,425
-559
Kentucky
1,763
2,175
-412
Missouri
3,758
4,155
-397
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
RICHMOND — Virginia Works announced today that 2,522 unemployment insurance weekly initialclaims were filed during the week ending January 25, 2025, which is 11.8 percent lower than last week’s 2,858 claims and 0.7 percent lower than the comparable week of last year (2,541). Nearly 78 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (59 percent) were Construction (241); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (234); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (218); Retail Trade (187); and Health Care and Social Assistance (174).
Continued weeks claims (17,203) were 0.2 percent higher than last week (17,161) and were 17.9 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (14,586). Nearly 92 percent of claimants self-reported an associated industry; of those reported, the top five industries (57 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,359); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,128); Manufacturing (1,529); Construction (1,512); and Health Care and Social Assistance (1,417).
Significant Layoffs and Announcements are available at the following websites:
Initial Claims – Comparison of Unemployment Insurance Activity
Week Ending
01/25/2025
Week Ending
01/18/2025
Week Ending
01/11/2025
Last Year
01/27/2024
Initial Claims
2,522
2,858
3,407
2,541
Initial Change (%)
-336 (-11.8%)
-549 (-16.1%)
+1093 (+47.2%)
-19 (-0.7%)
Continued Claims
17,203
17,161
16,539
14,586
Virginia Continued Weeks Claimed
A person who has already filed an initial claim and who has experienced a week of unemployment files a continued claim to claim benefits for that week of unemployment. On a weekly basis, continued claims reflect a good approximation of the current number of insured unemployed workers filing for UI benefits, and are a good indicator of labor market conditions. While continued claims are not a leading indicator, they provide confirming evidence of the direction of the economy.
The color-coded map below shows the distribution of this week’s continued claims for Virginia’s counties and cities.
Yellow represents low numbers, while progressively darker shades transitioning from yellow to green and dark green signify increasing numbers of continued claims. The legend located at the bottom provides the color spectrum and its corresponding count of continued claims.
Initial Claims for All States
In the week ending January 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 207,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 223,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 227,362 in the week ending January 25, a decrease of 56,963 (or 20.0 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 39,917 (or 14.0 percent) from the previous week. There were 263,919 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.
Initial State Claims (5 largest decreases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
California
46,490
59,969
-13,479
Michigan
8,412
18,014
-9,602
Missouri
3,985
8,299
-4,314
Illinois
10,403
13,627
-3,224
Texas
14,238
16,915
-2,677
Initial State Claims (5 largest increases) (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
State
Initial Claims (this week)
Initial Claims (prior week)
Change
Iowa
3,058
2,545
513
Washington
6,230
5,837
393
Wisconsin
5,699
5,375
324
Kansas
1,614
1,547
67
Montana
1,162
1,150
12
All States Initial Weeks Claimed
An initial claim is a claim filed by an unemployed individual after a separation from an employer. The count of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance is a leading economic indicator because it is an indication of emerging labor market conditions in the country.
Below is a color-coded map illustrating the percentage change in initial claims from last week to this week across all states nationwide, derived from the latest U.S Department of Labor Weekly Claims News Release (https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf). Green denotes a reduction in continued claims from last week, thus showing improvement, with progressively darker shades of green signifying greater improvement. Purple denotes an increase in continued claims from last week, thus showing deterioration, with progressively darker shades of purple signifying greater deterioration. Very light green, purple or white indicates minimal change from last week. The legend at the bottom provides the color spectrum along with its corresponding percentage value.
