Continued unemployment claims in Virginia continue sharp decline since May peak

The number of continued unemployment claims filed during the Oct. 31 filing week in Virginia was down more than 75 percent from the May 16 filing week peak, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.

For the filing week ending Oct. 31, the figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 10,350. The latest claims figure was a decrease of 2,002 claimants from the previous week and fell to its lowest level in a month.

For the most recent filing week, continued weeks claimed totaled 99,711, which was a 21.9 percent decrease from the previous week.

The mid-May peak for continued weeks claimed was 403,557.

This was the biggest single-week percentage drop since the May 16 filing week peak and indicated an acceleration of a recent declining trend.

The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.