The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.2 percent in March 2023.
The rate is 0.4 of a percentage point above the rate in March 2022.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey, the labor force increased to 65.9 percent to 4,528,910. The number of unemployed in Virginia decreased by 2,430 to 143,447.
Virginia’s unemployment rate continues to remain below the national rate of 3.5 percent.
The Virginia Employment Commission estimates that establishments gained 99,900 jobs in Virginia from March 2022 to March 2023, an increase of 2.5 percent. The private sector recorded an over-the-year gain of 85,000 jobs in March 2023, and employment in the public sector increased by 14,900 jobs.
The BLS reported more hiring in February 2023 in the Commonwealth, although many Virginians continued to change jobs following a trend of job turnover seen for many months.
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Rebecca Barnabi
