Counties with the highest unemployment in Virginia

The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.

The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.

Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Virginia, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market

January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.

Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.

"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."

Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.

The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows

Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.

"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.

Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.

Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.

Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Virginia.

45. Caroline County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,959 people (456 unemployed)

45. Charlotte County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,219 people (152 unemployed)

45. Richmond County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,928 people (112 unemployed)

45. Mecklenburg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,446 people (393 unemployed)

45. Lunenburg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,272 people (152 unemployed)

45. Harrisonburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,486 people (735 unemployed)

40. Fredericksburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,697 people (448 unemployed)

40. Norfolk city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 113,387 people (3,362 unemployed)

40. Newport News city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,940 people (2,734 unemployed)

40. Smyth County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,860 people (422 unemployed)

40. Prince George County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,053 people (485 unemployed)

34. Essex County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,618 people (172 unemployed)

34. Accomack County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,623 people (489 unemployed)

34. Patrick County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,056 people (217 unemployed)

34. Richmond city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 125,899 people (3,912 unemployed)

34. Radford city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,472 people (294 unemployed)

34. Westmoreland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,300 people (286 unemployed)

29. Northampton County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,402 people (173 unemployed)

29. Appomattox County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,138 people (227 unemployed)

29. Bristol city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,617 people (243 unemployed)

29. Lexington city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,489 people (79 unemployed)

29. Carroll County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,552 people (406 unemployed)

25. Henry County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,038 people (794 unemployed)

25. Williamsburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,978 people (233 unemployed)

25. Northumberland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,354 people (175 unemployed)

25. Prince Edward County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,261 people (341 unemployed)

18. Halifax County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,438 people (524 unemployed)

18. Lynchburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,774 people (1,215 unemployed)

18. Buckingham County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,705 people (231 unemployed)

18. Hampton city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 66,309 people (2,255 unemployed)

18. Page County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,538 people (427 unemployed)

18. Lee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,133 people (275 unemployed)

18. Russell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,860 people (366 unemployed)

15. Alleghany County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,287 people (225 unemployed)

15. Portsmouth city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,466 people (1,620 unemployed)

15. Norton city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,585 people (57 unemployed)

13. Wise County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,796 people (474 unemployed)

13. Tazewell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,119 people (563 unemployed)

12. Hopewell city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,053 people (379 unemployed)

10. Franklin city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,459 people (136 unemployed)

10. Covington city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,201 people (86 unemployed)

8. Dickenson County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,632 people (184 unemployed)

8. Danville city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,172 people (759 unemployed)

7. Buchanan County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,204 people (256 unemployed)

6. Sussex County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,768 people (173 unemployed)

5. Martinsville city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,574 people (264 unemployed)

4. Petersburg city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,121 people (641 unemployed)

3. Brunswick County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,985 people (304 unemployed)

2. Greensville County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,240 people (230 unemployed)

1. Emporia city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +3.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,363 people (188 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.