Virginia’s January County and Area Employment Figures Released

RICHMOND — Virginia Works (the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement) announced today that, compared to a year earlier, January 2024 unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 130 of Virginia’s 133 counties and cities and increased in three. In January, Arlington County and Falls Church city had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.1 percent, while Petersburg City had the highest unemployment rate at 5.7 percent. The employment estimates in this release are subject to large seasonal patterns; therefore, it is advisable to focus on over-the-year changes in the not seasonally adjusted estimates.

Among the metro areas, Northern Virginia² and Winchester had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.4 percent, while Lynchburg had the highest at 3.3 percent. The not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 2.7 percent, a 0.3 percentage point decrease from a year earlier and 1.4 points lower than the national rate. The January 2024 local unemployment rates are online: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/node/18418. You can also access the local unemployment rates by clicking the Area Rates link under the unemployment graph located on www.VirginiaWorks.com.

The statistical reference week for the household survey this month was the week of January 7-13, 2024.