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Tag: unemployment

New jobless claims increased last week in Va.

Initial unemployment claims increased across the state last week, while continued claims dropped slightly, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday.

For the filing week ending March 6, 13,736 people filed new claims for unemployment insurance, up from 12,155 the previous week. Meanwhile, 62,269 people filed continued claims, marking a 2.7% decrease from the previous week but still far higher than the same week in 2020, which saw 22,714 continued claims. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

“For the second consecutive week, initial claims for unemployment benefits increased in Virginia,” said Dominique Johnson, a research associate at Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, in a statement. “More than 10,000 weekly claims has almost become the norm. But when compared to the same week last year, two weeks before the COVID-19 spike in unemployment, initial claims were less than 2,600. While down considerably from the peak of nearly 150,000 claims filed in the first week of April 2020, a return to pre-pandemic levels will take some time.”

Robert McNab, director of the Dragas Center, said that while initial and continued claims “remain well above those observed in previous recessions, we are likely at an economic inflection point in the recovery from the pandemic.”

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 6:

  • Norfolk, 630
  • Richmond, 583
  • Virginia Beach, 562
  • Fairfax County, 543
  • Alexandria, 440
  • Prince William County, 372
  • Newport News, 319
  • Chesterfield County, 299
  • Chesapeake, 294
  • Henrico County, 281

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 712,000, a decrease of 42,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 200,382 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Labor market recovery slowed during early February

Labor market recovery slowed during the week of Feb. 7 through Feb. 13, according to Virginia Commonwealth University and Arizona State University economists.

Between early January and early February, employment held constant at 68.6%, which is 5.2% lower than it was in February 2020, according to the Real-Time Population Survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University assistant professor Adam Blandin and Arizona State associate professor Alexander Bick.

“Since October, employment has stopped recovering and has actually declined,” Blandin said in a statement. “We saw a continuation of this trend in February. This suggests that the early rapid recovery was only a partial one, and many workers who were working prior to the pandemic are still struggling to find work.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring 2020, employment fell by 14%, a “historic loss for the economy, both in its size and speed,” Blandin said in a statement.

The Real-Time Population Survey closely follows the methodology of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey and covers the same time period, but is released two weeks earlier. The survey is conducted in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The most recent Real-Time Population survey also showed that less than two-thirds of adults who were working right before the pandemic are still working for the same employer. However, workers have seen earnings recovery, with about half of workers earning the same amount that they were before the pandemic.

 

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Va. saw nearly 20% drop in initial jobless claims last week

Initial jobless claims filed last week fell 19.8% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission but continued claims slightly increased.

During the week ending Feb. 20, 11,944 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,901 from the week prior. 

Last week, 64,575 Virginians remained unemployed; that represents 42,082 more claims filed than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits. 

“Elevated levels in recent weeks may have, in part, reflected reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior three 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 Feb. 20:

  • Richmond, 497
  • Virginia Beach, 493
  • Norfolk, 476
  • Fairfax County, 457
  • Prince William County, 338
  • Newport News, 278
  • Chesapeake, 267
  • Alexandria, 251
  • Portsmouth, 233
  • Hampton, 223

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 730,000, a decrease of 111,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 199,278 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Va. saw slight uptick in jobless claims last week

Initial jobless claims filed last week rose 4.9% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission, while continued claims slightly dropped.

During the week ending Feb. 13, 14,901 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,203 from the week prior. 

Last week, 62,624 Virginians remained unemployed; that represents 40,143 more claims filed than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits. 

“Elevated levels this winter may have, in part, reflected reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.

More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior two 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 Feb. 13:

  • Richmond, 658
  • Virginia Beach, 603
  • Norfolk, 581
  • Fairfax County, 561
  • Prince William County, 398
  • Newport News, 355
  • Alexandria, 347
  • Chesapeake, 321
  • Portsmouth, 308
  • Chesterfield County, 285

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 861,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 209,336 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Initial jobless claims dropped 21.9% last week, but remain elevated

Initial jobless claims filed last week dropped 21.9% from the previous week, but still remain high compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

During the week ending Feb. 6, 14,203 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 18,177 from the week prior. 

Last week, 65,091 Virginians remained unemployed, a 3.3% decrease from the previous week, but 43,042 higher than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits. 

“The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the VEC.

More than half of the claimants 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 Feb. 6:

  • Virginia Beach, 674
  • Norfolk, 629
  • Fairfax County, 588
  • Richmond, 587
  • Prince William County, 440
  • Portsmouth, 377
  • Chesapeake, 356
  • Newport News, 327
  • Alexandria, 316
  • Hampton, 290

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 793,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 219,601 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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Va. initial jobless claims remain high

Initial jobless claims filed last week were essentially unchanged compared with the previous week, but remain high compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

During the week ending Jan. 30, 18,177 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims (compared to 18,312 from the week prior). 

“Elevated levels in recent weeks may have, in part, reflected reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.

Last week, 67,337 Virginians remained unemployed, a 0.1% increase from the previous week and 45,074 higher than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits. Most of the claims that had a self-reported industry were 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 Jan. 30:

  • Fairfax County, 838
  • Virginia Beach, 807
  • Norfolk, 799
  • Richmond, 795
  • Prince William County, 664
  • Alexandria, 479
  • Newport News, 449
  • Chesapeake, 427
  • Hampton, 378
  • Portsmouth, 372

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 779,000, a decrease of 33,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 224,664 initial claims during the same week last year.

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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 from the previous week, when 21,073 people filed new claims.

“Elevated levels in recent weeks may have, in part, reflected seasonal spikes in layoffs often seen after the holidays, as well as reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.

Last week, 67,298 Virginians remained unemployed, a 5.4% increase from the previous week and 45,637 higher than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits. Most of the claims that had a self-reported industry were in the hospitality, administrative, waste service, retail and health care 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 Jan. 23:

  • Fairfax County, 920
  • Richmond, 855
  • Norfolk, 840
  • Virginia Beach, 832
  • Prince William County, 651
  • Chesapeake, 490
  • Alexandria, 468
  • Portsmouth, 448
  • Newport News, 391
  • Hampton, 366

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 847,000, a decrease of 67,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 229,002 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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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 rates have changed very little in the last two months.

In Virginia, the labor force stayed steady at 4.28 million between November 2020 and December 2020, while the number of employed Virginians fell by 3,388 to 4.08 million. Non-agriculture jobs rose by 800 and the private sector gained 7,000 jobs. The public sector lost 6,200 jobs, however. 

At the onset of the pandemic last spring, U.S. employment fell by 14% among working age adults. From early December 2020 to early January 2021, employment stayed stagnant, according to the Real-Time Population Survey conducted by VCU economics professor Adam Blandin and Arizona State economics professor Alexander Bick. The Real-Time Population Survey closely follows the methodology of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey and covers the same time period, but is released two weeks earlier. The survey is conducted in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

“This was a historic loss for the economy, both in its size and its speed,” Blandin said in a statement. “Fortunately, employment also rebounded quickly in the summer and fall. From April to October, employment increased by over 10%, meaning that the economy quickly recovered about two-thirds of lost jobs.”

However, Blandin says, “since October, employment has stopped recovering, and has actually declined. We saw a continuation of this trend in January. This suggests that the early rapid recovery was only a partial one, and many workers who were working prior to the pandemic are still struggling to find work.”

In Virginia, the largest monthly job gains during December were in trade and transportation (adding 5,600 jobs) and manufacturing (adding 4,400 jobs), according to the VEC. The construction industry in Virginia also gained 1,900 jobs. The largest decreases were reported in government and leisure and hospitality.

Of the 11 major industry divisions in Virginia, 10 reported major losses in December 2020 compared with December 2019. Leisure and hospitality was down by 72,300 jobs at the end of the year, while education and health services were down by 39,100 jobs, according to the VEC. The only region in Virginia to net a positive job gain between 2019 and 2020 was Staunton/Waynesboro, which added 800 jobs. Northern Virginia saw the largest year over year drop — losing 66,700 jobs in 2020.

The Real-Time Population Survey for the week of Jan. 10 through 16 also shows that only approximately 60% of Americans are still working for the same employer as at the onset of the pandemic, with 15% not working and 25% working for a new employer.

The survey did show that earnings have recovered for many people, with about half of the respondents reporting they were earning the same amount at the start of the pandemic, and approximately 20% said they were earning more. 

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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 “reflect seasonal spikes in layoffs seen after the holidays,” according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

Last week, 63,687 Virginians remained unemployed, a 0.2% increase from the previous week but 40,110 higher than the 23,577 continued claims from the same period last year. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

“Over half of claims were in the accommodation/food service, health care, administrative and waste services and retail trade industries,” according to the VEC. “The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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 Jan. 9:

  • Fairfax County, 1,609
  • Norfolk, 1,528
  • Virginia Beach, 1,262
  • Prince William County, 1,260
  • Richmond, 1,237
  • Alexandria, 836
  • Portsmouth, 772
  • Newport News, 713
  • Chesapeake, 704
  • Chesterfield County, 588

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 965,000, an increase of 181,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 338,550 initial claims during the same week last year.

U.S. unemployment rates aren’t expected to reach pre-crisis lows until some time in 2024, according to predictions released Thursday by S&P Global Senior Economist Satyam Panday during the Virginia Bankers Association and Virginia Chamber’s 2021 Financial Forecast presentation.

 

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Initial jobless claims jumped 64.3% last week

The number of initial jobless claims filed last week jumped a staggering 64.3% to more than 19,000, according to Virginia Employment Commission data released Thursday. This is the highest number of initial claims reported since August 2020.

For the week ending Jan. 2, 19,530 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment, an increase of 7,640 claimants from the previous week.

Last week, 63,588 Virginians remained unemployed, a 0.2% increase from the previous week but 41,417 higher than the 22,171 continued claims from the same period last year. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

“Over half of claims were in the accommodation/food service, health care, administrative and waste services and retail trade industries,” according to the VEC. “The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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 Jan. 2:

  • Norfolk, 1,063
  • Virginia Beach, 1,029
  • Fairfax County, 918
  • Richmond, 824
  • Prince William County, 718
  • Portsmouth, 563
  • Chesapeake, 494
  • Newport News, 487
  • Chesterfield County, 380
  • Hampton, 377
  • Henrico County, 368

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 787,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 335,480 initial claims during the same week last year.

Virginia’s COVID-19 cases have continued to surge while the first wave of vaccines are administered, and Gov. Ralph Northam has placed further restrictions on some businesses, as well as directing state authorities to discipline businesses that don’t obey the ban of alcohol sales after 10 p.m., or social distancing and mask mandates. 

Northam also ordered in late December that Virginia businesses that laid off employees in the first three months of the pandemic will be held harmless for the layoffs, allowing businesses to avoid paying about $200 million in payroll taxes to replenish the VEC’s Unemployment Insurance Trust, which ran out in October. Currently, the state is relying on federal money to pay state unemployment benefits. 

 

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