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Tag: unemployment

Va. jobless claims up 173% from last week

For the April 13-17 filing week, 13,751 Virginians submitted initial unemployment claims, a 173% increase from the previous week, but an 83% decrease from this time a year ago when jobless claims were near a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week’s new claims rose by 8,717 compared to those from the week ending April 10, when 5,034 people filed, according to the Virginia Employment Commission’s Thursday report.

The number of continued claims filed last week — 55,273 — dropped by 2,098 from the previous week. This week a year ago, 297,993 continued claims were filed, 82% higher than last week. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

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 April 17:

  • Fairfax County, 890
  • Virginia Beach, 654
  • Prince William County, 646
  • Richmond, 646
  • Norfolk, 606
  • Alexandria, 504
  • Loudoun County, 363
  • Portsmouth, 363
  • Newport News, 334
  • Henrico County, 323

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 547,000, a decrease of 39,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 4,221,556 initial claims during the same week last year.

Va. unemployment stayed steady in March

Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained above 5% in March, dropping just 0.1 percentage points below February’s jobless rate.

March’s 5.1% unemployment rate was 2.5 percentage points above March 2020’s rate. Virginia contends to trend lower than the nation, however. The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 6%.

“Virginia’s unemployment rate is steadily improving and we are making real progress in safely reopening our economy,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “While we have made great strides in our recovery, we know there is still more work to do. We will continue to focus our efforts bringing more Virginians into the workforce and supporting families, businesses and communities with the resources they need to build back stronger.”

The labor force increased by 1,618 to 4.23 million in March, with the number of unemployed Virginians decreasing by 5,051, according to data released Friday by the Virginia Employment Commission. The number of employed Virginians increased by 6,669 to 4.02 million.

The largest job gains occurred in the professional and business services sectors, followed by manufacturing, miscellaneous services, construction, mining and logging. The sectors with the largest job losses in March were trade, transportation and utilities, followed by leisure and hospitality services; information; finance; and education and health services.

 

 

Va. new unemployment claims fall 466% from previous week

About 5,000 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims for the week ending April 10, a 95% decrease from this time a year ago when jobless claims were near their peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week’s 5,034 new claims were 466% lower than the previous week’s, when 28,526 people filed, according to the Virginia Employment Commission’s Thursday report.

The number of continued claims filed last week — 57,371 — stayed close to the same number as the previous week, 57,344, although much lower than this time last year, when 236,791 people filed continued unemployment claims.

People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

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. 

According to The Associated Press, five women have sued the head of the VEC for delayed unemployment payments, as well as postponed adjudication of grievances and nonresponses to applications for benefits. A few weeks ago, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner wrote a letter urging Gov. Ralph Northam to speed up payment of benefits to Virginia unemployment claimants after the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which includes compensation for long-term unemployed people, self-employed people and gig workers. Warner said in the letter that constituents were calling his office with complaints.

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

  • Fairfax County, 318
  • Richmond, 255
  • Virginia Beach, 249
  • Norfolk, 195
  • Prince William County, 191
  • Alexandria, 184
  • Newport News, 137
  • Loudoun County, 134
  • Chesapeake, 119
  • Hampton, 105
  • Henrico County, 101

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 576,000, a decrease of 193,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 4,897,867 initial claims during the same week last year.

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New, continued jobless claims in Va. stay steady a second week

The number of initial unemployment claims filed during the week ending April 3 was 81% lower than the same period a year ago, when the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic saw unemployment filings near peak levels. The number of new filers last week increased slightly from the previous week.

The Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that 28,526 people filed initial claims last week, an increase of 282 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 57,344, a 0.5% decrease from the previous week and 75,840 lower than the 133,184 continued claims a year ago. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

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. 

This week, the VEC announced it would begin contacting unemployment recipients across the state in May to inform them that they must start applying for two jobs a week to continue receiving state and federal assistance. This is the typical policy, but the requirement was suspended last year due to the pandemic.

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending April 3:

  • Alexandria, 1,806
  • Norfolk, 1,578
  • Richmond, 1,241
  • Virginia Beach, 1,255
  • Fairfax County, 1,165
  • Prince William County, 904
  • Portsmouth, 790
  • Fredericksburg, 784
  • Portsmouth, 729
  • Fredericksburg, 710
  • Hampton, 636

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 744,000, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 6,161,308 initial claims during the same week last year.

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VEC to reinstate weekly work search requirement soon

All Virginia recipients of unemployment insurance will have to apply for two jobs a week soon to continue receiving benefits, Virginia Employment Commission announced Tuesday. Although the exact timeline was not provided, the VEC will begin notifying residents in May, it said.

According to the news release, VEC has received more than 1.5 million claims over the past year, a more than 1,000% increase from the previous year, and it has paid more than $12.2 billion in state and federal benefits, which is now entering a third round of stimulus payments.

Under normal circumstances, unemployment insurance recipients must apply for at least two jobs a week to continue receiving benefits under state and federal law, but that requirement was suspended during the pandemic, when jobs in some fields were scarce, particularly restaurants and hospitality sectors. After May, recipients will have to report details of their job search activity each week to the VEC, and the requirement extends to recipients of federally funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

The VEC will work with Virginia Career Works centers across the state to help job seekers with their searches, as well as accessing child care when they return to work.

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Va. new unemployment filings up last week, VEC reports

The number of initial unemployment claims filed during the week ending March 27 were 75% lower than they were this week a year ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact was fully reflected in Virginia’s unemployment statistics. However, the number of new filers increased from the previous week.

The Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that 28,244 people filed initial claims last week, an increase of 10,684 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 57,072, a 2.0% decrease from the previous week but 15,245 higher than continued claims a year ago. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

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 March 27:

  • Alexandria, 1,720
  • Norfolk, 1,719
  • Richmond, 1,268
  • Virginia Beach, 1,240
  • Fairfax County, 1,053
  • Prince William County, 822
  • Portsmouth, 790
  • Roanoke, 775
  • Fredericksburg, 710
  • Hampton, 660

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 719,000, an increase of 61,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 5,981,787 initial claims during the same week last year.

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Va. unemployment dropped slightly in Feb., continuing slow decline

Virginia’s unemployment rate continued to edge lower in February, dropping from 5.3% in January to 5.2% last month, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. However, the state saw a decrease of 3,700 nonfarm payroll jobs and a decline in employed people during February.

The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2% in February, and the state’s jobless rate last month was 2.7% higher than in February 2020, when it stood at 2.5%. The number of employed Virginians fell by 8,808 to 4 million in February.

According to Megan Healy, the state’s chief workforce development adviser, the last time the state saw an unemployment rate of 5.2% was in 2014, as Virginia’s economy was recovering from the 2008-09 Great Recession. “Looking ahead to our recovery in 2021, the Virginia Employment Commission will continue working to help people gain employment or enter training programs that match their skills and career goals, focusing resources to align with the emerging opportunities we are seeing in post-pandemic job market trends.”

“While our unemployment rate is moving in the right direction, the economic impacts of this pandemic continue to challenge workers and businesses in Virginia and across the country,” Northam said in a statement. “Our administration remains committed to providing additional relief to those most in need, helping Virginians return to the workforce, and making targeted investments to build back key sectors of our economy.”

From February 2020 to February 2021, the private sector lost 161,600 jobs, while the public sector lost 35,700 jobs.

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Va. new unemployment claims 60% lower than 1 year ago

The number of initial unemployment claims filed during the week ending March 20 were 60% lower than they were this week a year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact first began to be reflected in Virginia’s unemployment statistics.

The  Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that 17,560 people filed initial claims last week, an increase of 2,035 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 58,233, a 2.9% decrease from the previous week but 36,605 higher than continued claims a year ago. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner wrote a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday, urging him to speed up benefits to Virginia unemployment claimants now that the federal $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan has been passed. The act includes compensation for long-term unemployed people, self-employed and gig workers, as well as a new category that targets people with mixed sources of income.

“It is my understanding that, following earlier passage of congressional legislation to extend these programs in December, constituents in Virginia faced many delays and communication problems with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC),” Warner wrote. “With the knowledge that these benefit systems were originally set to expire on Dec. 26, I worked with a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to pass a relief package shortly before Christmas because it was understood that loss of benefits at this time of the year would be particularly cruel. Now, several months later, I hope you can agree that for constituents still experiencing delays the lack of pandemic unemployment insurance is unconscionable.”

Citing constituents that have called his office with complaints, Warner asked in the letter for the VEC to report on its plans on how to disburse the new federal funding for unemployed Virginians, as well as how the commission plans to improve communication efforts with claimants and employers.

“From Newport News to Henrico to Alexandria, constituents are contacting my office from every corner of the commonwealth with desperate requests for relief,” Warner wrote. “Some of them have waited three months, others have waited 11 months, and many are struggling to feed their children and keep a roof over their heads.”

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 March 20:

  • Alexandria, 1,478
  • Norfolk, 1,169
  • Richmond, 900
  • Virginia Beach, 699
  • Fairfax County, 689
  • Prince William County, 466
  • Hampton, 403
  • Lynchburg, 383
  • Chesterfield County, 337
  • Petersburg, 332

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 684,000, a decrease of 97,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 2,920,162 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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In past year, 1.5 million filed unemployment claims in Va.

Marking one year since mass layoffs began due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission said Thursday that the number of initial claims filed statewide in the past year — 1.5 million since the March 21, 2020 filing week — has exceeded the total number filed during the past three economic recessions since 1990.

According to VEC stats, 441,817 people filed claims in 1990; 326,190 in 2001 and 664,792 in 2007, compared with 1,508,365 in the past year.

Also, the number of initial claims increased last week compared to the week ending March 6, while continued claims fell by 3.7%. For the filing week ending March 13, 15,525 people filed new claims for unemployment insurance, an increase from 13,736 the previous week, VEC reported. Continued claims filed last week totaled 59,976, far higher than the same week in 2020, when 21,336 continued claims were filed. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

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 March 13:

  • Norfolk, 1,256
  • Richmond, 787
  • Alexandria, 709
  • Virginia Beach, 664
  • Fairfax County, 533
  • Prince William County, 356
  • Hampton, 340
  • Newport News, 313
  • Chesterfield County, 311
  • Chesapeake, 285

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 770,000, an increase of 45,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 251,416 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Va. unemployment fell to 5.3% in January

Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped from 5.6% in December 2020 to 5.3% in January, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. The state saw a gain of 14,100 nonfarm payroll jobs during January.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.3% in January, falling to 6.2% in February.

Nevertheless, Virginia’s January unemployment rate was still significantly higher than in January 2020, when the state unemployment rate was 2.5%.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put incredible strain on our economy, we are hopeful that the unemployment rate will continue to fall as more people get the vaccine and return to work,” Northam said in a statement. “Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, stimulus checks and extended unemployment assistance are now on the way to millions of Virginians, providing a critical boost to our recovery. We are turning the corner, and our commonwealth is moving forward.”

The number of employed Virginians rose by 7,468 to 4.02 million in January.

From January 2020 to January 2021, the private sector lost 160,800 jobs in Virginia, while the public sector shed 33,100 jobs.

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