First-time unemployment claims in Henrico jump 12.6%

For the first time since mid-August, more than 300 Henricoans filed first-time unemployment claims during the most recent reporting week, Nov. 15-21, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. (The agency typically releases the data each Thursday, but it was delayed until early this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday.)

In Henrico, 321 people filed initial claims during the week – a jump of about 12.6% from the 285 who filed the week before. It was the most such filers in the county during a single week since 370 filed during the week of Aug. 9-15. Statewide, the increase in first-time filings was 10.3% from the previous week.

A total of 42,389 Henricoans have filed first-time unemployment claims since the pandemic began in mid-March, according to the VEC. Only 2,888 are filing continuing claims, suggesting that some have returned to work but others have simply exhausted their claims period.

Among localities in Virginia, Henrico has the eighth-most first-time filers since the pandemic began, just behind Chesterfield, which is seventh and Richmond (which is fourth).

Henrico has the seventh-most continuing filers, behind Richmond (which is third) and just ahead of Chesterfield (which is eighth). Henrico is the sixth-largest locality in the state, while Chesterfield is fifth. Richmond is tenth.