Total unemployment claims in Henrico dip to about 9,500

The number of Henrico residents who filed first-time unemployment claims fell for the fifth consecutive week – this time by nearly 13% – establishing another post-pandemic low, according to data released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

A total of 239 county residents filed initial claims during the week that ended Aug. 29, down from 274 who did so the previous week. It was the lowest number of initial claims filed since the week before the pandemic began in March, when 79 Henricoans filed.

Henrico ranked eighth statewide during the most recent filing period in number of first-time filers, and it continues to rank eighth overall among total first-time claims since the pandemic began, with 39,272. (Richmond is fourth, with 46,916, while Chesterfield is seventh, with 39,379).

Another potential positive sign for the local economy is that the number of continuing claims among Henrico residents who previously filed initial claims decreased for the seventh time in the past eight reporting weeks. That number fell to 9,303, or less than a quarter of the total number of first-time filers from Henrico during the pandemic, likely indicating that most of the others have returned to work.

Statewide during the most recent week, 10,305 people filed first-time claims – a decrease of about 10% from the previous week.