Virginia unemployment rate drops .03 percent

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam  announced that Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent to 5.3 percent in January, which is 2.8 percentage points above the rate from a year ago. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 14,100 jobs. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to be below the national rate, which was 6.3 percent in January and fell to 6.2 percent in February.

“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,” said Governor Northam. “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.”

At the beginning of each year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) alters its release schedule so that it can make revisions to previous estimates from its employment surveys that incorporate more complete survey data and other changes. In January, Virginia was ranked 23rd in the nation for the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, along with Kentucky, Ohio, and South Carolina.

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