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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