The number of new unemployment claims filed with the Virginia Employment Commission is at a recent high.
For the filing week ending Nov. 21, the figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 12,234. The latest claims figure was an increase of 1,146 claimants from the previous week and rose to its highest level in nearly a month.
For the most recent filing week, continued weeks claimed totaled 81,138, which was a 4.7 percent decrease from the previous week, but 63,597 higher than the 17,541 continued claims from the comparable week last year.
Although a deceleration, this drop indicated a continuation of its 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.