Fairfax County’s jobless rate stayed steady in March, according to new data, mirroring a trend across most of the region.
With 645,382 in the civilian workforce and 16,012 looking for jobs, Fairfax’s March unemployment rate of 2.4 percent was unchanged from February while being up from 2.3 percent in a year before.
Figures were reported May 3 by the Virginia Employment Commission.
Across Northern Virginia, month-over-month changes in jobless rates were minimal from February to March. Unemployment rates also were unchanged in Arlington (2.1%) and Prince William (2.7%) counties, while declining from 2.3 percent to 2.2 percent in Alexandria, rising from 2.2 percent to 2.3 percent in Falls Church and increasing from 2.2 percent to 2.4 percent in Loudoun County.
In Northern Virginia as a whole, the jobless rate of 2.5 percent – unchanged from a month before and up from 2.4 percent a year ago – represented 1,702,524 employed in the civilian workforce and 43,474 looking for jobs.
Statewide, the jobless rate of 2.8 percent for March was down from 2.9 percent a month before but up from 2.7 percent a year ago. Nationally, the rate of 3.6 percent was down both from a month (3.9%) and year (3.8%) before.
In February, Arlington had shared the crown of lowest unemployment rate in Virginia with neighboring Falls Church, but in March held the title on its own.
Alexandria stood in second place for the month, followed by Falls Church and Madison County (2.3% each) and an 11-way tie at 2.4 percent.
On the other side of the coin: Northumberland County had the highest jobless rate in Virginia in March at 5.6 percent, followed by Petersburg (5.4%) and Lancaster County (5.3%).
A total of 59 of the commonwealth’s 133 cities and counties had unemployment rates lower than 3 percent, while only the three mentioned above had rates of 5 percent or higher.
March 2023 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
D.C. Region Sees Lower Year-Over-Year Joblessness: The Washington metropolitan area’s jobless rate of 2.7 percent in March was down from 3.1 percent a year before, according to new federal data.
The rate represents 3,502,973 in the civilian workforce and 93,332 looking for jobs, according to figures reported May 3 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Washington was one of 208 metro areas where year-over-year jobless rates declined. Rates were higher in 151 metro areas, unchanged in 30.
A total of 125 metro areas had unemployment rates below 3 percent, with 11 areas above 8 percent.
The national, non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 3.6 percent for the month was largely unchanged from a year before. A total of 211 metro areas had jobless rates lower than the national average, 162 above it and 16 equal to it.
Nationally, the lowest unemployment rate – 1.6 percent – was recorded in Decatur (Ala.), Huntsville (Ala.) and Rapid City (S.D.). The highest rates were reported in El Centro, Calif. (15.6%); Visalia, Calif. (11.3%); and Merced, Calif. (11.2%).
Among metropolitan areas with more than a million population, the lowest jobless rates were in Birmingham (1.8%) and Miami (2.2%), with the highest in Las Vegas (5.7%).
In terms of payroll employment, totals were up in 91 metropolitan areas and largely unchanged in the rest on a year-over-year basis.
In terms of percentage change, the highest gainers from a year before were Midland, Texas (+9.6%); Charleston, S.C. (+6.5%); and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (+5.4%).
In terms of total jobs, the biggest year-over-year increases among metropolitan areas were in New York City (+277,000); Dallas-Fort Worth (+203,100); and Los Angeles (+152,000).
Across Virginia, March’s jobless rate of 2.8 percent was up from 2.7 percent a year before, representing about 4.58 million in the civilian workforce and just under 130,000 looking for jobs.
Among metro areas in the commonwealth, unemployment rates ranged from 2.5 percent in Winchester and 3.3 percent in Lynchburg.
