Initial unemployment insurance claimants by county and city weeks ending Feb. 6 over Jan. 30 change. Green shows a decrease, yellow shows an increase of 1 to 20 claimants and red shows an increase of 21 to 71 claimants. Graphic courtesy Virginia Employmen
Initial jobless claims filed last week rose 4.9% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission, while continued claims slightly dropped.
During the week ending Feb. 13, 14,901 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,203 from the week prior.
Last week, 62,624 Virginians remained unemployed; that represents 40,143 more claims filed than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.
“Elevated levels this winter may have, in part, reflected reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.
