Henrico's March unemployment rate down from same month in 2023

In keeping with a statewide trend, Henrico County’s March unemployment rate was down when compared with the rate one year earlier. The county witnessed an unemployment rate of 2.5% this March, down from 2.8% last March, according to new data from the Virginia Employment Commission. A total of 4,745 people who were seeking work in the county in March couldn't find it, the data showed.

There were almost 1,500 more people in Henrico's workforce this March than last March but still 626 fewer unemployed citizens during the same timeframe, the data showed.  The number of employed citizens in Henrico last month was 188,197 – up just more than 2,000 from the same month last year.

Since seasonal employment patterns can impact numbers from one month to the next, VEC officials place greater emphasis on comparisons between the same month from one year to the next. More people

Statewide, March unemployment rates in the state’s 133 counties and cities were down in all but four when compared with the March 2023 rates, and three of those four were unchanged since last March. Arlington County (1.7%) had the lowest unemployment rate in March, while Petersburg (5.2%) had the highest, according to the VEC.

The unemployment rate in Metro Richmond in March was 2.6%, down from 3% during the same month last year. The regions of Charlottesville, Staunton and Winchester had the lowest unemployment rates for metro areas in March (2.1%).