RICHMOND, VA—Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that nonfarm employment in Virginia decreased by 8,400 jobs over the past month according to BLS CES data. However, there has been an increase of 35,600 jobs since June 2024. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 3.5 percent in June, which is below the national rate of 4.1 percent. Since January 2022, nonfarm employment has increased by 263,700.
“The announced Federal and contractor workforce reductions resulted in the month’s decline in jobs of 8,400 while the full year saw growth of more than 35,000,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “As I have said previously, we expect there will be federal job reductions and that the growth in non-federal jobs over the course of the year…will provide opportunities for those who have experienced job dislocation.”
The BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) show a decrease in Virginia’s labor force by 10,116 to a total of 4,558,145 individuals as unemployed residents increased by 4,025 to reach a total of 160,116. The labor force participation rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to stand at 65.0 percent in June.
“Here in the Commonwealth, we are laser-focused on engaging workers and removing barriers to employment and career advancement,” stated Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater.
“Short-term shifts in employment data don’t change our long-term mission,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura.
For further details on these statistics and their implications for Virginia’s economy, visit the Virginia Works’ labor market information website at https://virginiaworks.com/.
