Fairfax County’s unemployment rate ticked up a bit from April to May but remains on the low end of the statewide total, according to new figures.
With 651,524 in the civilian workforce and 15,572 looking for jobs, the May unemployment rate of 2.3 percent in Fairfax County was up from 2.1 percent a month before but down from 2.5 percent a year ago, according to figures reported June 28 by the Virginia Employment Commission.
That trend – a month-over-month increase but year-over-year decline – tended to play out, with some variations on the theme, across the region for the month:
• In Arlington, May’s unemployment rate of 2 percent was up from 1.9 percent in April but down from 2.1 percent in May 2022.
• In Alexandria, May’s jobless rate of 2.1 percent was unchanged from a month before but down from 2.4 percent a year ago.
• In Falls Church, May’s rate of 2.2 percent was up from 2.1 percent a month before and unchanged from a year ago.
• In Loudoun County, May’s unemployment rate of 2.4 percent was up from 2.1 percent in April but down from 2.5 percent from a year before.
• In Prince William County, the May jobless rate of 2.5 percent was up from 2.3 percent a month prior but down from 2.8 percent a year ago.
For Northern Virginia as a whole – with 1,718,893 counted in the civilian workforce and 41,830 looking for jobs – the resulting unemployment rate of 2.4 percent was unchanged from a month before but down from 2.6 percent in May 2022.
Of Virginia’s 133 cities and counties, Arlington tied with Highland County for lowest unemployment rate, followed by Alexandria at 2.1 percent and then, tied at 2.2 percent, Falls Church and Madison County.
The highest rates were turned in by Petersburg (4.5%), Emporia (4.4%) and the city of Lexington and Brunswick County (4.3% each).
All told, 73 Virginia jurisdictions had jobless rates below 3 percent, while eight had rates above 4 percent.
D.C. Region’s Jobless Rate Posts Year-Over-Year Decline: The Washington region was among the 177 (out of 389) metropolitan areas nationally to see lower year-over-year unemployment rates in May, according to new federal data.
With 3,508,888 in the civilian workforce and 89,726 looking for jobs, the local region’s unemployment rate of 2.6 percent in May, though up from 2.3 percent a month before, was below the rate of 3 percent recorded in May 2022.
Figures were reported June 28 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While a plurality of the nation’s metro areas saw lower year-over-year joblessness, the total fell short of a majority, as rates were higher in 158 corridors and unchanged in an additional 54. A total of 215 metro areas had rates below the national May average of 3.4 percent, with 153 above it and 21 equal to it.
Nationally, the lowest metro-area jobless rates for May were found in Burlington, Vt. (1.3%) and Manchester, N.H. (1.4%). The highest rate was found in El Centro, Calif. (16%).
Among metro areas with populations above a million, the lowest unemployment rates were found in Birmingham (2%) and Boston (2.1%) with the highest in Las Vegas (5.6%).
Statewide in Virginia, the unemployment rate of 2.7 percent for May represented 4,607,280 in the civilian workforce and 123,312 looking for jobs. Virginia’s rate a year before had stood at 2.9 percent.
Among metro areas across Virginia outside the local area, the lowest jobless rates for May could be found in Winchester and Harrisonburg (2.5% each) and the highest in Lynchburg (3.2%).
Looking through the lens of payroll jobs, 84 metro areas saw year-over-year increases, one saw a year-over-year decline and totals were essentially unchanged in the remaining 304.
In terms of percentage growth in payroll employment, the highest year-over-year jumps occurred in Midland, Texas (up 7.7%), and Corvallis, Ore. (6.3%). In raw numbers, the largest increases came in the New York City (up 254,700), Dallas (172,300) and Los Angeles (143,400) metro areas.
