RICHMOND—The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced today that the number of initial claims increased in the latest filing week to 1,457, returning to a level typically seen earlier in the year.
For the filing week ending December 17, the figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 1,457, which is an increase of 111 claimants from the previous week. Over half of initial claims with a self-reported industry from administrative support and waste management, accommodation and food services, construction, manufacturing, and retail trade. Continued weeks claimed totaled 9,027, which was an increase of 407 claims from the previous week, but a reduction of 80% from the 44,270 continued claims from the comparable week last year.
Eligibility for benefits is determined on a weekly basis, and so not all weekly claims filed result in a benefit payment. This is because the initial claims numbers represent claim applications; claims are then reviewed for eligibility and legitimacy.
In the week ending December 17, the advance U.S. figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was s 216,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 3,000 from 211,000 to 214,000. The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 247,867 in the week ending December 17, a decrease of 4,064 (or -1.6 percent) from the previous week. There were 255,021 initial claims in the comparable week in 2021. Looking at preliminary data, most U.S. states reported increases on a seasonally unadjusted basis. Massachusetts’ preliminary weekly change (+1,433) was the largest increase. New Jersey’s weekly change (+994) was the second largest increase. Missouri’s preliminary weekly change (+810) was the third largest increase. Connecticut’s weekly change (+602) was the fourth largest increase. Virginia’s preliminary weekly change (+331) was the 11th largest increase.
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