New unemployment filings in Henrico hit post-pandemic low

For the first time since the pandemic began seven months ago, fewer than 200 Henrico residents filed initial unemployment claims during the most recent reporting week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

A total of 191 Henricoans filed first-time claims between Oct. 4-10, a drop of 26% from the previous week. That was the eighth-highest total among state localities, one filer behind Newport News. Overall, the state witnessed a decrease of about 16% in first-time filers from the previous reporting week.

Since the pandemic began, Henrico now has witnessed nearly 40,700 residents file initial claims. About 5,500 of them are still filing continuing claims, a total that is the sixth-highest number among state localities.