Virginia’s unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level since March, at 4.9%, but more Virginians continue to file claims for unemployment benefits.
The Department of Labor reports 23,131 new claims for unemployment benefits in Virginia last week, up from a revised 14,509 the previous week.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits in Maryland last week totaled 12,518, up from 11,486 the previous week. In the District, first-time filings for unemployment benefits totaled 1,689, down from 1,810 the previous week.
Nationwide, there were 803,000 new filings for unemployment benefits, 89,000 fewer than the previous week.
As of Saturday, just over 5.3 million Americans were receiving standard unemployment benefits, 170,000 fewer than the previous week. The Labor Department does not distinguish between those who voluntarily stopped receiving unemployment benefits and those whose benefits have run out.
More details are available on the Labor Department’s website.
