GOP lawmakers push to protect workers who decline COVID vaccines
RICHMOND, Va. – Lawmakers narrowly passed a bill this month that would allow people fired for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine to receive unemployment benefits if no other misconduct took place. The measure advanced from the House of Delegates on a 51-48 party line vote and was assigned to a Senate committee on Feb. 10. The […]
New Va. jobless claims inch up
Virginia’s new unemployment claims rose just slightly for the week ending Jan. 29, the Virginia Unemployment Commission reported Thursday. Virginians filed 2,157 claims for the last week of January, an increase of 217 initial claims from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 7,439, a decrease of 104 claims from the previous week and 89% lower […]
Va. CEOs expect sales to increase despite omicron effects
About 84% of CEOs reported an impact on their businesses from the omicron variant of COVID-19, but almost 60% expect sales to increase over the next six months, according to the fourth quarter CEO Economic Outlook survey conducted by the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business and the Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs). Of […]
New Va. unemployment claims down 32%
Virginia’s new unemployment claims declined by almost 32%, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending Jan. 22, Virginians filed 1,940 initial claims, down 909 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 7,543, an increase of 484 claims from the week before. Compared to the same week last year, initial claims were […]
Va. new unemployment claims up 16%
New unemployment claims in Virginia increased 16% last week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending Jan. 15, Virginians filed 2,849 initial claims, an increase of 406 from the week before. Continued claims totaled 7,059, down 1,131 from the previous week. Compared to the same week last year, initials claims were […]
Va. had fewer job openings in October
Virginia had 308,000 job openings in October, the largest drop in openings among U.S. states, as well as 108,000 quits, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data released Dec. 17. In September, Virginia had a record-setting 336,000 job openings, but in October, openings declined by 28,000, […]
Trucking on: How truckers are battling historic labor shortage
RICHMOND — From hand sanitizer and vaccines to groceries and toilet paper, truck drivers are trucking through the COVID-19 pandemic despite a historic labor shortage. Many industries moved workers home during the start of the pandemic, but truckers worked “to meet the needs of this country.” “The trucking industry has stepped up and delivered through […]
2021 LABOR/EMPLOYMENT LAW Q&A
Laurie L. Kirkland Blankingship & Keith PC, Fairfax Title: Principal Other legal specialties: Commercial litigation Education: Bachelor’s degree, Harding University; law degree, George Mason University Spouse: Joshua B. Isaacs Children: Daughter Norah, 6 months Recently read book: Having loved “The Giver,” by Lois Lowry since middle school, I recently discovered that it was the [...]
Va. had record 328,000 job openings in September
Virginia had 328,000 job openings in September and 123,000 quits, 4,000 fewer quits than the April 2021 peak, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data released Nov. 19. The September job openings number set a record previously set in July, when there were 320,000 openings. The […]
Va. CEOs expect sales, employment to increase
Almost 70% of CEOs expect sales to increase over the next six months, and about 60% expect employment to increase, according to a third quarter survey conducted by the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business and the Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs). Compared to answers from the CEO Economic Outlook Survey conducted at the […]
Va. new jobless claims dropped 35% last week
Virginia’s initial unemployment claims decreased about 35% last week since the previous week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending Aug. 28, the state recorded 7,777 new jobless claims, down 4,146 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 46,471, up 9,396 claims from the previous week. Compared to the same week […]
Amazon has hired 3,000+ HQ2 workers so far
So far, Amazon.com Inc. has hired more than 3,000 of the 25,000 employees it plans to recruit by 2030 for its multibillion-dollar HQ2 East Coast headquarters in Arlington, the global online retailer announced Wednesday. In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly passed an incentive package that would pay Amazon up to $550 million in grants for […]