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Federal employment, trade declined in 2025 in Virginia
Virginia saw some economic growth in 2025, but it was slow compared to 2024, and statewide unemployment is expected to rise in 2026, according to Old Dominion University's State of the Commonwealth economic report released Tuesday.
D.C.-area leaders launch initiative to help laid-off federal workers
Talent Capital, a website launched Wednesday, aims to help laid off federal workers find jobs and keep them in the Greater Washington region.
OurView: Will AI spell lights out for white-collar workers?
Perhaps the greatest symbol of tech companies’ uncanny valley visions for the AI-powered future are dark factories — also called lights-out factories, these AI-managed manufacturing plants are so fully automated that machines perform their work in full or near darkness 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without breaks — and largely without humans. […]
The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits last week rises to highest level in eight months
Unemployment claims rose to 247,000, an 8-month high, as tariff uncertainty and corporate job cuts weigh on the U.S. labor market and economic outlook.
Virginia tightens noncompete rules for more workers
Virginia's new law bans noncompete agreements for non-exempt employees, expanding protections for more workers starting July 1, 2025.
Virginia unemployment claims rise amid federal layoffs
Virginia jobless claims rose in early May, with experts citing federal spending cuts, tariffs and contract reductions as key factors in the surge.
US manufacturing worsens in March
TEMPE, Ariz. — U.S. manufacturing output contracted in March after two months of growth, which were preceded by 26 straight months of contraction. The Institute for Supply Management, which polls manufacturers, issued a monthly index of 49% for March, down 1.3 points from February. Any number below 50 indicates contraction. “In March, U.S. manufacturing activity […]
Applications for jobless benefits inch up, but layoffs remain low, labor market healthy
Slightly more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low. U.S. jobless claims filings rose by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending March 15, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s just less than the 224,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, […]
While Youngkin celebrates Virginia’s labor force gains, economists warn of future unemployment
Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he feels good about the state’s employment landscape. In an announcement Tuesday, the governor celebrated that Virginia added 7,100 more jobs in January 2025, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). “More Virginians are working than ever in the commonwealth as jobs and opportunity continue to expand […]
Va. economic outlook is positive, says Weldon Cooper Center forecast
Virginia’s long-term economic outlook is positive, according to the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service’s inaugural economic forecast released Monday. Weldon Cooper economists predict Virginia’s gross domestic product in 2025 will increase 2.4%, outpacing national GDP growth. The U.S. GDP’s growth is expected to be 1.9% this year, slower t[...]
All eyes on noncompetes
EDITOR’S NOTE: On Aug. 20, a federal judge in Texas ruled against the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete agreements, which was scheduled to go into effect Sept. 4. In striking down the FTC’s pending rule, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown called it “arbitrary and capricious” and an “unlawful agency action.” An FTC spokesperson said […]
Virginia saw 15,000 jobs created in June
Virginia reported 15,000 jobs created in June, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. Overall, the commonwealth has seen 258,000 jobs created since January 2022, according to the news release from the governor’s office. “The jobs report is yet another good sign about the resiliency of the Virginia economy,” Bob McNab, an economist at Old Dominion University, […]
