Va. unemployment fell to 5.3% in January

Payroll employment saw gain of 14,100 jobs

Published March 15, 2021 by Richard Foster

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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