VEC to relocate, expand Buchanan County call center
Amid record-breaking unemployment claims filed during the pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) will relocate and expand its Buchanan County customer service call center, adding up to 110 jobs, the agency announced Friday. The need for relocation and extra space began last year as more VEC employees responded to issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Va. saw slight decline in initial jobless claims last week
Virginia saw a 13.1% drop in the number of initial jobless claims filed last week compared to the previous week, but unemployment remains high across the state, according to figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission on Thursday. The week ending Jan. 23 saw 18,312 Virginians filing initial unemployment claims, a decrease of 2,761 claimants […]
Crown Holdings to build $145M aluminum can factory in Henry County
Yardley, Pennsylvania-based metal packaging tech company Crown Holdings Inc. will establish a $145 million aluminum can manufacturing operation in Henry County, creating 126 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The company will build the 355,000-square-foot facility to be used for aluminum beverage can production in the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre. Founded in 1892, the Fortune [&[...]
Unemployment shows minimal improvement in Va., U.S.
Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by less than 1% between November 2020 and December 2020, according to the Virginia Employment Commission, and the commonwealth’s 4.9% December unemployment rate for December was 2.2% higher than in December 2019. Early predictions from Virginia Commonwealth University and Arizona State University economists show that U.S. employment[...]
Norfolk communications equipment manufacturer to create 68 jobs
A $6.5 million expansion by Norfolk-based Tabet Manufacturing Co. will create 68 jobs in the region, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The communications equipment manufacturer will expand its operations by constructing a new manufacturing facility next to its current location at 1336 Ballentine Blvd. Tabet was founded more than 60 years ago and developed the […]
Va. unemployment claims remain high, but new claims drop
Although the number of initial jobless claims filed last week dropped relative to the previous week, unemployment numbers remain high, according to figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission on Thursday. During the week ending Jan. 16, 21,073 Virginians filed initial claims, a 25.3% decline from the previous week, which saw 28,227 people file new […]
Genworth notifies employees of job cuts
Henrico County-based Genworth Financial Inc. has notified some employees of job cuts, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The job cuts come on the heels of the company’s Jan. 4 announcement that its planned $2.7 billion acquisition by China-based Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. has been frozen. Company spokesperson Julie Westermann declined to share the number […]
Mohawk Industries to invest $22.5M in Carroll County operation
Flooring manufacturing giant Mohawk Industries Inc. will invest $22.5 million to expand its Carroll County operation, creating 35 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. Mohawk, which currently employs more than 900 Virginians, will add 19,000 square feet to its 351 Floyd Pike facility in Hillsville and install new equipment to increase its production speed. “We […]
Va. sees highest number of initial jobless claims since July 2020
Last week, more than 28,000 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims — a 44.5% jump from the previous week. This is the greatest number of initial claims reported since July 2020. During the week ending Jan. 9, 28,227 Virginians filed initial claims, which was an increase of 8,697 from the previous week. This could in part […]
Number of initial jobless claims remained at 14K last week
The number of initial jobless claims filed last week stayed close to its Aug. 8 peak, with more than 14,000 Virginians filing new unemployment claims, according to Virginia Employment Commission data released Wednesday. For the week ending Dec. 19, 14,640 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment, an increase of 131 claimants from the previous week. […]
Pandemic brings end to decade of job gains
The public health crisis brought an unanticipated end to 11 straight quarters of economic growth and nearly a decade of job gains in Virginia, according to Old Dominion University’s 2020 State of the Commonwealth Report, released on Dec. 20 by ODU’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. “The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected how […]
Va. unemployment rate fell less than 1% between October and November
Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by less than 1% between October and November to 4.9%, according to employment statistics released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission — but unemployment still remains 2.2% higher than the same time last year. The labor force grew by 0.4% to 4.28 million between October and November, while the […]