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Va. new jobless claims dip below 10,000

Virginia saw another decrease in initial unemployment claims last week, with 9,843 new claims in the filing week ending May 22, down 799 from the previous week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission’s Thursday report.

Continued claims decreased by 6,250 last week, with 54,163 filed by May 22. This time a year ago, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 39,242 people filed new unemployment claims, 74% more than last week, while 402,926 people filed continued claims, 87% more than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

Starting June 1, the VEC will start requiring unemployment benefit recipients to apply for at least two jobs a week and report details of job search activity, a requirement that was waived during the height of the pandemic.

Also, in a settlement of a federal class action lawsuit against the VEC this week, Judge Henry Hudson signed orders requiring the agency to clear 95% of its 92,000-claim backlog by Sept. 6. The state has ranked as the slowest in the nation in processing difficult-to-resolve claims, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of five Virginia women.

Gov. Ralph Northam previously ordered the VEC to invest $20 million in initiatives to speed up processing of claims, particularly those that require adjudication. The governor’s executive directive requires the commission to hire 300 claims processors, modernize its insurance system by Oct. 1 and make other immediate technology upgrades.

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 22:

  • Norfolk, 507
  • Fairfax County, 418
  • Richmond, 400
  • Virginia Beach, 339
  • Prince William County, 304
  • Portsmouth, 242
  • Chesapeake, 234
  • Newport News, 229
  • Alexandria, 228
  • Chesterfield County, 198

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 406,000, a decrease of 38,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the lowest number of initial claims since March 14, 2020, the week before the COVID pandemic prompted mass layoffs. There were 1,902,792 initial claims during the same week last year.

Va. April unemployment rate at 4.7%, drops nearly half point

Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was at 4.7% in April, dropping 0.4 percentage points below March’s jobless rate.

April’s statewide unemployment rate was 5.9 percentage points below April 2020’s rate of 10.6%, the first full month of pandemic-related job losses. Virginia contends to trend lower than the nation, however. The U.S. unemployment rate for April was 6.1%.

“Virginia’s unemployment rate has decreased every month since last June and is edging closer to pre-pandemic record lows,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “More people are working, businesses are hiring and our economy is getting even stronger as more and more Virginians receive their COVID-19 vaccines. Our administration remains focused on ensuring there is opportunity for every Virginia resident in every part of our commonwealth so we can all move forward.”

The labor force decreased by 12,422 to 4.22 million in April, with the number of unemployed Virginians decreasing by 17,097, according to data released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission. The number of employed Virginians increased by 4,675 to 4.02 million.

The largest over-the-year job gains occurred in the leisure and hospitality sector, which gained 114,000 jobs or 52%, and the next largest gain was in trade and transportation, which went up by 67,300 jobs, or 11%. Education and health services saw a gain of 38,200 jobs, or a 7% increase. Government experienced the state’s largest year-over-year decrease in jobs, falling by 10,100 jobs in local governments and 3,400 state jobs. The federal government, however, added 2,400 jobs over the past year.

 

Va. sees second week of slightly lower initial jobless claims

Virginia saw another week of little change in initial unemployment claims, with 10,642 new claims filed during the week ending May 15, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. This was a decrease of 628 claimants from the previous week.

Continued claims last week rose by 2,569 from the previous week, reaching 60,413 total claims. This time a year ago, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 44,699 people filed new unemployment claims, 76% more than last week, while 403,557 people filed continued claims, 85% more than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the VEC to invest $20 million in initiatives to speed up processing of claims, particularly those that require adjudication. The governor’s executive directive requires the commission to hire 300 claims processors, modernize its insurance system by Oct. 1 and make other immediate technology upgrades. The state has ranked as the slowest in the nation in processing difficult-to-resolve claims, according to a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of five Virginia women. Last week, a federal judge disclosed that the state and the plaintiffs have initiated settlement talks.

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 15:

  • Fairfax County, 549
  • Norfolk, 465
  • Richmond, 439
  • Prince William County, 381
  • Virginia Beach, 359
  • Newport News, 279
  • Chesapeake, 248
  • Alexandria, 239
  • Portsmouth, 237
  • Hampton, 223

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 444,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 2,163,595 initial claims during the same week last year.

Northam orders VEC to hire 300 more claim processors

Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday ordered the Virginia Employment Commission to invest $20 million in upgrading its claims system and hire 300 more staffers to process complicated unemployment insurance claims, which have dogged the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and led to a civil lawsuit.

In an executive directive signed Tuesday, Northam directed the agency to complete a full modernization of its insurance system by Oct. 1 and make immediate technology upgrades.

His office said in a news release that the state ranks sixth in the nation for the timely payment of benefits to eligible applicants, but a class action lawsuit filed in April alleged that Virginia is the slowest state in the nation when processing difficult-to-resolve claims. The pro bono lawsuit on behalf of five Virginia women was filed by the Legal Aid Justice Center, Legal Aid Works and the Virginia Poverty Law Center,  along with Consumer Litigation Associates PC and Kelly Guzzo PLC.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson said in an order that the VEC and the plaintiffs had initiated settlement talks. The VEC has been under significant pressure during the pandemic and record-breaking unemployment claims since last March, with more than 1.6 million people filing initial jobless claims over the past 15 months. Along with more people filing for unemployment insurance, the VEC received thousands of phone calls and emails from people seeking answers and unemployment checks from both the state and the federal government.
A study on the VEC by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission is set for November, but with state lawmakers asking for information sooner, the watchdog agency will give updates on the VEC’s status through the summer.
According to Tracey Smith, JLARC’s associate director, the commission had processed only 2.4% of claims that required additional review within 21 days, the benchmark that lands Virginia at the bottom of the nation in adjudicating claims, the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
“Virginia is a national leader in getting unemployment benefits to eligible individuals, but it’s clear that complex cases must be resolved more quickly,” Northam said in a statement. “That’s why I’m directing the Virginia Employment Commission to invest $20 million to significantly speed up its adjudication process and immediately implement long overdue technology upgrades. This action will address many of the issues that have caused delays and ensure that we continue to deliver relief to Virginians who need it.”
According to Northam’s directive, the VEC must increase the number of adjudicated claims being process per week from 5,600 to 10,000 by June 30 and to 20,000 by July 31. To accomplish this goal, the agency will finalize a $5 million contract for more than 300 officers. The VEC will also invest in its customer contact center, which has grown during the pandemic to handle calls from claimants. The 41-year-old benefits system will be updated with a $5 million contract to expedite work, with Oct. 1 as its targeted finish date.
Finally, Northam’s order says, the state will work with the Virginia congressional delegation to resolve a federal funding disparity, in which the state receives among the lowest amounts of federal unemployment funding in the nation, requiring Virginia businesses to pay more in federal unemployment taxes.

Va. House of Delegates to meet in person at the state Capitol

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn announced Monday that the House, when it next convenes, will return in person to the Virginia State Capitol after a year of virtual and physically distanced voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the past year, Virginians have shown commitment and resolve to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect one another,” Filler-Corn said in a statement. “Containing the virus required sacrifice that touched every part of daily life. Among those things that changed was how we governed. As many Virginians took to remote work, so did the House.

“Now, with infection rates falling and our commonwealth’s vaccination rollout program among the best in the country, it is time our body returns where it belongs, in the Capitol, in the people’s chamber.”

Filler-Corn’s announcement comes after Gov. Ralph Northam lifted the state’s masking mandate Friday for all vaccinated Virginians, following changes in recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The orders also allow vaccinated people to gather closer than six feet, including indoors.

The last time the House met in its quarters at the state Capitol in Richmond was in the 2020 regular General Assembly session, which concluded in early March 2020, just before the pandemic hit the commonwealth. The April veto session took place under a large tent on the Capitol grounds, while the Virginia State Senate met at the Science Museum of Virginia. Delegates also met briefly at the Virginia Commonwealth University Siegel Center last year, but most of its legislation took place via Zoom last summer and fall during an 84-day special session, as well as the 2021 regular session.

Although the House has not announced when it plans to convene next, it is likely to meet this summer to allocate $4.3 billion in federal stimulus funds toward several initiatives assisting small businesses, unemployment claimants and communities without broadband access.

The state Senate has not yet announced if it will also convene at the state Capitol at the next legislative session.

Coming attractions: 8 Regal theaters reopening in Va. this Friday

Just in time for the premiere of “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” Friday will mark the opening of eight Regal movie theaters across Virginia, part of a nationwide partial reopening of the cinema chain.

Although some states have had multiple Regal multiplexes open since April, Virginia had only two open as of Thursday, in Springfield and Gainesville. By next Friday, May 21, Regal plans to reopen 18 more Virginia theaters, including several in the Hampton Roads area.

The marquee includes Lionsgate’s “Spiral,” with “A Quiet Place Part II” and the next offering from the Fast & Furious franchise, “F9,” opening in coming weeks, Regal said in its announcement Thursday.

There will be appropriate safety and health guidelines in place that follow CinemaSafe protocol, Regal said.

Theaters opening Friday include:

  • Regal Kingstowne ScreenX & RPX, Alexandria
  • Regal Dulles Town Center, Dulles
  • Regal Short Pump & IMAX, Richmond
  • Regal Commonwealth & IMAX, Midlothian
  • Regal Westchester Commons, Midlothian
  • Regal Southpark Mall, Colonial Heights
  • Regal River Ridge, Lynchburg
  • Regal Stonefield ScreenX & IMAX, Charlottesville

More information on theater reopenings is available here.

Va. officials ‘reviewing’ new CDC mask guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — meaning they received their final shots at least two weeks earlier — can stop wearing masks and maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor areas. So, what does that mean for Virginia, where a mask mandate has been in place for almost a year?

A spokesperson at the governor’s office, Alena Yarmosky, said Thursday afternoon that Virginia “will continue to follow CDC guidelines, as we have throughout this pandemic. We are reviewing this guidance and expect to have more updates soon.”

Just after 5 p.m., Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted basically the same message, that the state is “reviewing the new mask and distancing recommendations and will update our guidance accordingly.”

This spring, Northam has gradually lifted other pandemic restrictions — including allowing vaccinated Virginians to not wear face coverings when in small, outdoor gatherings earlier this month after a CDC recommendation — but the state’s current executive order still requires people to wear masks indoors and at large, crowded gatherings outdoors.

However, the state has previously changed other policies swiftly after new CDC guidance, such as opening vaccination to children ages 12 and older Wednesday night only an hour after the CDC approved vaccinating younger adolescents.

Meanwhile, the state’s restrictions on gatherings are about to be partially lifted on Saturday, as announced earlier by Northam. Sports and entertainment venues will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity or 1,000 people, and private social gatherings will be allowed to include 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors. Also, alcohol sales after midnight will be allowed, and dining rooms will no longer have to close between midnight and 5 p.m.

The governor’s April 22 announcement regarding changes in policy May 15 noted that masking and social distancing were still required.

“Ultimately this reinforces the importance of getting vaccinated,” Yarmosky said Thursday following the CDC announcement. “Vaccines are our pathway out of this pandemic, and they are how we can all get back to doing what we love. With the expansion of eligibility to everyone 12 and older, more Virginians can get vaccinated than ever before. If you haven’t already, now is the time to get your shot.”

 

Va. sees small decrease in new jobless claims

The fluctuating numbers of initial unemployment claims in Virginia took a break last week, with little change from the previous week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending May 8, 11,270 people submitted new jobless claims, a decrease of 961 claimants from the previous week, or 7.8%.

In April, the number of new claims bounced up and down week after week, including a 171.6% week-over-week increase reported for the April 19-24 filing week.

A year ago, 52,139 Virginians filed initial claims, 78.3% higher than last week.

Continued claims remained fairly steady, with 57,844 filed last week, an increase of 2,649 from the previous week. A year ago, however, 392,673 people filed continued claims, 85.2% higher than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

Last week’s initial claims represent “a significant improvement from the roughly 52,000 initial claims filed in same week in 2020,” Dominique Johnson, research associate at Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, said in a statement. “The number of Virginians receiving some form of unemployment benefits increased from the previous week. The general trend, however, shows a continued steady decline from the peak in April 2020. Overall, Virginia’s labor market shows continued improvement, and the expected uptick in economic activity over the coming months should only accelerate the recovery.”

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending May 8:

  • Fairfax County, 631
  • Norfolk, 479
  • Richmond, 466
  • Virginia Beach, 463
  • Prince William County, 452
  • Chesapeake, 294
  • Newport News, 286
  • Alexandria, 277
  • Chesterfield County, 274
  • Loudoun County, 253

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 473,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 2,326,632 initial claims during the same week last year.

Vaccination of adolescents age 12+ starting now in Virginia

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval late Wednesday afternoon, Virginia public health authorities gave their OK to expanding Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shots to children ages 12 and older Wednesday night. In an update Thursday, state vaccination coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said that schools around the state are setting up vaccination clinics beginning Thursday and that other locations such as doctors’ offices and pharmacies are now inviting adolescents for their shots.

One exception: Large community vaccination clinics — including those at Tysons Corner Mall and Gander Mountain in Prince William County — will start offering vaccination on Friday so the vaccine providers can be trained with current federal guidance regarding vaccination of adolescents.

Avula said, for instance, that the CDC has changed its earlier advice about how soon the COVID vaccine can be given after children have gotten other vaccines, such as mumps and measles. The current guidance allows children ages 12 and older to get a COVID shot at the same time as other vaccines they’re receiving, he said, and vaccine administrators need to be able to answer parents’ questions about this and other matters.

The following locations will begin offering vaccination to everyone age 12 and older beginning Friday:

  • Portsmouth – Sportsplex
  • Petersburg – Virginia State University
  • Prince William –Gander Mountain
  • Suffolk – Hilton Garden Inn
  • Fairfax (Tysons) – Tysons Corner Mall
  • Virginia Beach –Virginia Beach Convention Center
  • Newport News –13771 Warwick Boulevard in the former Sherwood Shopping Center
  • Hampton – Hampton Coliseum

Virginia Superintendent for Public Instruction James Layne, who also was on the call, said he’s spoken with many superintendents in recent days, and although he does not have complete figures, many said they plan to have clinics set up at schools where students with signed permission slips from parents or guardians can get their shots. Layne said that unlike other childhood vaccines required by school systems, the COVID vaccine is not required by schools and is not under the Virginia Department of Education’s authority unless the General Assembly passes a law making it so.

Avula said that getting kids vaccinated will likely help stop the spread of COVID; although younger people are more often asymptomatic or get a mild case when infected, those qualities make it more likely they’ll spread the virus to adults around them.

As for adults getting vaccinated, 64% of Virginians age 18 and older have gotten at least a first dose, Avula said, putting the state well on track for President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of the nation’s adult population vaccinated with one dose by July 4. Avula said his end goal is still to get 75% to 80% of all eligible Virginians (now age 12 and older) vaccinated, and he said health districts, particularly in the Southwest and Roanoke regions, are using creative tactics to make vaccination convenient.

In Roanoke, for example, volunteers are approaching people in a grocery store parking lot where there is a pop-up clinic and offering vaccination right on the spot, and there are bars and college campuses hosting clinics as well.

“I think having the opportunity to talk through this with somebody who’s not going to judge you, who’s not going to shame you is really important at this stage,” Avula said. In places where only 40% of adults have gotten vaccinated, he added, “It’s not that 60% are resistant, it just hasn’t been front of mind for them.”

He added that one growing concern is the 6.7% of Virginians as of Wednesday who have gotten one shot and not their second dose, which is needed for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be fully effective. Early research appears to show that some variants, including the one causing India’s surge, are much more contagious among people who have gotten only their first shot, compared with people who are fully vaccinated.

Finally, although no firm plans have been made, Avula says it is a “daily topic of conversation” among state health officials to possibly start offering incentives for people to get vaccinated, although funding and whether such incentives would be retroactively available to people who got their shots already are areas of discussion, too. In New Jersey, clinics are offering coupons for a free beer in its “Shot and a Beer” program.

To find out where vaccinations are taking place in your community, visit the Vaccinate Virginia site.

Northam, GA leaders pledge to invest $4.3B in federal funds in special session

Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday issued a statement with General Assembly leaders outlining their priorities for a $4.3 billion windfall from the most recent federal stimulus package passed in March.

Among their plans during a special legislative session this summer will be to allocate money from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to fully fund the Rebuild Virginia small business recovery program and invest in Virginia Tourism and the Virginia Housing and Community Development’s infrastructure program. Also, they intend to put more money into the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund, which ran out of money last October due to record-breaking unemployment claims and relied on loans from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The leaders further plan to fund more staffing and a computer system upgrade at the Virginia Employment Commission, which has been under heavy criticism for delays in processing unemployment checks and responding to claimants’ calls and complaints. Another priority is to fully deploy broadband across the state, completing in 18 months what was intended as a 10-year project. Other priorities are to improve school buildings and upgrade state and local public health services.

Northam — along with House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, Senate President pro-tem Louise Lucas and other Democratic statehouse leaders that signed on to the joint statement — notes that Virginia is in an unusual position, because state revenue has begun to rise again and unemployment is starting to decline. In March, the state recorded 5.1% unemployment, down from the national average of 6%.

“Few states can say this, but it is no accident. This is the result of careful stewardship,” the statement says. “This is a unique opportunity to invest in Virginia’s long-term future. We intend to be good stewards of these taxpayer dollars, in full compliance with fiduciary guidelines. We reject calls to refuse these federal dollars, and we support the law’s prohibition on cutting state taxes to substitute federal dollars.”

Virginia received $3.2 billion last spring from the CARES Act, the first federal stimulus package, and through the American Rescue Plan, local governments will receive a total of $2.7 billion directly from the federal government, in addition to $4.3 billion received by the state.