VA Unemployment Rate Drops With Help From Private, Public Sectors

VIRGINIA — Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent in June from 4.5 percent in May, according to the office of Gov. Ralph Northam.

A year ago, the unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in Virginia. The state’s unemployment rate remains below the national rate of 5.8 percent.

“Virginia’s falling unemployment rate and expanding labor force show the strength of our economy and business climate,” Northam said in a statement Friday. “We can all be optimistic about what the future holds as we move beyond this pandemic.”

In June, Virginia’s labor force increased by 4,343 to 4,234,360, as the number of unemployed residents dropped by 5,448 from May’s total to 183,799.

The private sector recorded a year-over-year gain of 179,900 jobs in June, while the public sector added 10,500 jobs compared to June 2020.

Compared to a year ago, the leisure and hospitality sector saw an increase of 67,200 jobs, or 25.5 percent. The next largest over-the-year job gain occurred in trade and transportation, up 40,100 jobs, or 6.5 percent from a year ago.

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