Youngkin announces decrease in Virginia’s unemployment rate, continued job gains

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently announced a decrease in Virginia's unemployment rate and significant job gains throughout the state over the past year.

Virginia's unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in September, which puts it below the national rate of 4.4% by 0.9 percentage points, according to a Dec. 11 release from Youngkin's office.

Additionally, the commonwealth has gained 28,200 nonfarm jobs throughout the past year -- with total nonfarm employment increasing by 273,800 since January 2022, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

“Virginia’s job market continues to demonstrate sustained strength, with more than 270,000 jobs added since this administration began,” Youngkin said. “The reported decline in state government employment reflects a statistical adjustment, not a real reduction. Our own payroll data show job growth continuing across state government and throughout the Commonwealth. Employment is rising, investment is accelerating, and opportunities continue to expand for Virginians.”

Unemployment claims continue yearly increase in Virginia

The labor force participation rate, which measures the proportion of the population aged 16 and older that is employed or looking for work, decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 64.6% in September, according to the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).

(Photo Courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics)

More details about employment, labor force and unemployment data can be found at the Virginia Works website.