Virginia’s unemployment rate rises minimally to 3 percent

Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage point in May to 3.0 percent, which equals the rate from a year ago, Gov. Ralph Northam announced this week.

Virginia has the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among the Southeast states and the sixth-lowest in the nation, along with Massachusetts and Nebraska. The national rate was unchanged at 3.6 percent.

In May, the state's labor force expanded for the eleventh consecutive month – by 5,817, or 0.1 percent – to set a new record high of 4.36 million. The number of unemployed citizens increased by 1,748. Household employment increased by 4,069 to set a new high of 4,239,506.

“Virginia’s growing and highly-skilled labor force continues to show the world that businesses can count on the Commonwealth’s robust talent pipeline to support their needs,” said Northam. “However, even with a consistently low unemployment rate, we must remain focused on ensuring that every Virginian has the opportunity to participate in the Commonwealth’s economic progress."

In May, the private sector recorded an over-the-year gain of 30,800 jobs, while employment in the public sector increased as well by 1,200 jobs. Compared to a year ago, on a seasonally adjusted basis, eight of the 11 major industry divisions experienced employment gains, while the other three experienced employment losses.