Henrico's initial unemployment claims rise but still remain relatively low

For the seventh consecutive week, the number of Henrico residents who filed initial unemployment claims remained below 200, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

A total of 162 people in the county filed such claims during the week of June 20-26, though that represented the county’s highest total in one month and a jump of nearly 30% from the previous week, when only 126 people had filed.

Still, Henrico ranked only 10th statewide among localities with the most fillers during the most recent week; the county is the sixth-largest locality in Virginia.

For the sixth straight week, the number of Henricoans who filed continuing unemployment claims fell – from 1,439 to 1,357 – its lowest number since shortly after the pandemic began.

Statewide, the number of first-time filers grew by nearly 19% during the most recent week.