Virginia Works’ Economic Information and Analytics Division, which serves as the Commonwealth’s official source for labor market and workforce data, reported that 2,663 unemployment insurance weekly initial claims were filed during the week ending August 8.
The claims were filed with the Virginia Employment Commission, which administers the Commonwealth’s Unemployment Insurance program.
This is 16.8 percent higher than last week’s 2,280 claims and 1.5 percent higher than the comparable week of last year (2,624).
Nearly 75 percent of claimants self-reported an employer which correlates to an associated industry. Based on this reporting, the top five industries (61 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (329); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (257); Health Care and Social Assistance (244); Retail Trade (206); and Manufacturing (156).
Continued weekly claims (20,613) were 0.05 percent higher than last week (20,603) and were 4.0 percent lower than the comparable week of last year (21,463). Nearly 93 percent of claimants self-reported an employer which correlates to an associated industry. Based on this reporting, the top five industries (59 percent) were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (3,691); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,388); Health Care and Social Assistance (2,068); Accommodation and Food Services (1,691); and Retail Trade (1,476).
