The figure for seasonally unadjusted initial unemployment claims in Virginia for the week ending Feb. 27 was 12,155, an increase of 211 claimants from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission.
For the most recent filing week, continued weeks claimed totaled 63,998, which was a 0.9 percent decrease from the previous week, but 41,795 higher than the 22,203 continued claims from the comparable week last year.
Over half of claims that had a self-reported industry were in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade, and healthcare/social assistance industries.
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.