Virginia's Career and Workforce
Labor Market Information
Press Releases
VEC analysis of Virginia BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data provides information on all pieces that go into the overall change in payroll employment in the commonwealth. These components include job openings, hires, layoffs, voluntary quits, and other job separations.
Latest Local Area Unemployment Numbers Press Release
Unemployment Press Releases
Publications and Reports
Understanding the Economic Signals: Are We Headed for a Recession?
August 2024
What exactly is a recession, and how do we recognize one? Economists, policymakers, and analysts rely on a range of indicators to assess the health of the economy, and while some of these alarm signals have flashed red, no big downturn has yet materialized. Are the indicators correct this time? This article explores what a recession is, the factors that could signal its onset, and whether we are on the brink of an economic downturn or merely slowing down.
Building on Virginia’s Research and Development Momentum
July 2024
Investment into research and development (R&D) is a key driver of innovation and economic growth, so recent changes to Virginia’s research and development tax credit come at a good time as the Commonwealth seeks to maintain the momentum that has propelled it to the fore in state business climate.
Grocery Store Sticker Shock, ‘Shrinkflation,’ and Virginia’s Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Producers
May 2024
Consumers across the country have experienced food cost inflation at the grocery store in recent years. Aside from rising prices for some items, others appeared to have gotten smaller or have disappeared from the shelves due to shortages or being discontinued. These are frustrating, but what is often overlooked is that they reflect the challenging conditions for the businesses that produce those goods. This article explores some of the reasons for these recent changes in Virginia's Food, Beverage, and Tobacco production.
How Wage Growth Affects Employment and Prices in Both the Short and Long Term
April 2024
Generally, wage growth is considered a good thing by most, but large increases in a relatively short amount of time can have both positive and negative impacts in both the short and long term. This article looks at the positive and negative of short and long-term impact wage growth has on employment and the economy.
Pandemic Recovery Ranking of Virginia and other States Using Labor Force Participation Rate and Unemployment Rate
April 2024This article analyzes trends of the labor force participation rate and unemployment rate for Virginia and other states since the start of the pandemic to rank the extent of pandemic recovery of each state over the past four years.
Will Virginia’s Thriving Labor Market Maintain its Momentum this Year? Some Trends to Watch in 2024
January 2024
This article looks at possible employment trends for 2024 based on data from the previous year.
Did Virginia’s Strong Labor Market in 2023 Help It to Steer Clear of a Recession?
November 2023
This article explains how the strong labor force and employment growth in 2023 provided a needed boost to the Commonwealth’s economy.
The Impact of The Pandemic on Residential Real Estate
October 2023
Since the pandemic started in 2020, home affordability has suffered a triple whammy from three key factors – high inflation, skyrocketing home prices, and sharply rising mortgage rates. This has resulted in homes moving out of reach for the average American in almost every state, including Virginia. This article examines the post pandemic housing market.
Disabled Workers in Virginia
September 2023
This article talks about the new Virginia House Bill 1924 which outlaws the practice of hiring and paying workers with disabilities less than minimum wage.
Universal License Recognition
September 2023
This article discusses the benefits of the new policy that recognizes out-of-state occupational licenses.
Virginia Hiring Trends Shed Light on Where Female Workers Found Work In the Midst of the Pandemic
August 2023
This article looks at which industries provided the most opportunities for female workers as Virginia navigated the pandemic.
Outdoor Recreation and the Virginia Economy
July 2023
This article looks at the rise in employment within the Outdoor Recreation/Leisure & Hospitality sector and it's impact on Virginia's economy.
Was Virginia's Labor Market in 2022 as Unusual as it Seemed?
April 2023
To many Virginia employers and other observers, labor market conditions in 2022 seemed unusually tight. In this article, the beverage curve is used to illustrate the inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and the job opening rate to gage the labor market for Virginia in 2022 coming out of the pandemic.
Electric Vehicles (EV) – Are We There Yet?
December 2022
This article explores if the economy is ready for electric vehicles.
Virginia WIG Performance Report - Program Year 2020
November 2021
Workforce Information Grant, Program Year 2020 (2020-2021) is an annual report by the Economic Information & Analytics division of the Virginia Employment Commission that summarizes all programs and publications required by the Workforce Information Grant.
The Current Microchip Shortage and the Virginia Manufacturing Industries that Use Them
February 2021This article examines the impact that the national microchip shortage is having on industries in Virginia.
Structural Unemployment: A New Measurement and Continuing Discussion of an Elusive Economic Indicator
October 2018The aim of this paper is to spark a new debate in the literature by conceptualizing structural unemployment in a way that is more nuanced than current research suggests.