Both Arlington and Fairfax counties posted slight month-over-month unemployment upticks in new data, but May’s figures remain below those of a year earlier.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the new data July 3. Figures show:
• With 645,896 in the workforce and 15,177 seeking jobs, Fairfax’s unemployment rate of 2.3 percent was up from 2.0 percent a month before but down from 2.5 percent a year previously.
• With 159,045 residents in the civilian workforce and 3,172 looking for jobs, Arlington’s unemployment rate of 2 percent was up from 1.8 percent in April but down from 2.1 percent in May 2023.
Across the remainder of Northern Virginia, trajectories were similar, with jobless rates up from a month prior and down from a year before. May 2024 figures stood at 2.2 percent in Alexandria and Falls Church; 2.4 percent in Loudoun County; and 2.5 percent in Prince William County.
Across Northern Virginia as a whole, May’s jobless data showed 1.7 million in the workforce and slightly fewer than 41,000 looking for jobs. The resulting unemployment rate of 2.3 percent was up from 2.1 percent in April but down from 2.5 percent in May 2023.
The statewide jobless rate for May was 2.6 percent. For the nation, it was 3.7 percent.
Among Virginia’s 133 cities and counties, Arlington and Highland counties shared the lowest unemployment rate at 2 percent, followed by Fluvanna and Surry counties at 2.1 percent and seven locales tied at 2.2 percent. The highest rates were in Petersburg (5.1%) and Emporia (4.8%).
A total of 82 Virginia jurisdictions had jobless rates below 3 percent in May, with eight reporting rates higher than 4 percent and the remainder sandwiched in the middle.
