The figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 10,843 for the week ending Oct. 3, according to the Virginia Employment Commission.
The latest claims figure was an increase of 1,466 claimants from the previous week but continued the overall trend of lower claims volumes seen in recent months following April’s peak.
For the most recent filing week, continued weeks claimed totaled 160,764, which was a 7.5 percent decrease from the previous week, but 143,924 higher than the 16,840 continued claims from the comparable week last year.
They have declined at a consistent pace since mid-August—around 6.9 percent a week.
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.