Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a notable increase in job openings and hires in Virginia. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reported 251,000 job openings in the state, marking an increase of 63,000 from April’s revised figures. This growth represents one of the largest increases nationwide.
Governor Youngkin stated, “The door of opportunity is wide open in the Commonwealth—Virginia has jobs.” He highlighted significant investments such as AstraZeneca’s commitment to make their largest manufacturing investment in Virginia, a federal agency relocating its headquarters from Washington D.C., Framatome’s new facility adding 500 jobs, and BWXT’s awarded contract to support the nuclear navy. Since the beginning of his tenure, over $125 billion in capital investments have been made.
In addition to job openings, hiring activity was strong with 163,000 hires reported for May—an increase of 25,000 from April. The state’s hire rate was recorded at 3.8 percent compared to the national average of 3.4 percent.
Moreover, employee confidence seems high as voluntary resignations increased by 33%, indicating optimism about labor market opportunities. Conversely, layoffs and discharges declined sharply while total separations decreased by 2,000.
The JOLTS report provides insights into labor market dynamics including demand for labor (job openings), hiring activity, and employee turnover (separations). For more information on employment data visit https://virginiaworks.com/.
