Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Virginia

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Virginia

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Virginia using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

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#50. Chesapeake

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 121,113 (3,234 unemployed)

#49. Waynesboro

- Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 10,445 (285 unemployed)

#48. Craig County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 2,223 (62 unemployed)

#47. Cumberland County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,777 (133 unemployed)

#46. Russell County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 11,461 (320 unemployed)
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#45. Westmoreland County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 9,966 (280 unemployed)

#44. Suffolk

- Current unemployment rate: 2.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 44,562 (1,243 unemployed)

#43. Amherst County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 14,614 (418 unemployed)

#42. Mecklenburg County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 13,478 (397 unemployed)

#41. Patrick County

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 7,465 (217 unemployed)
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#40. Norton

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 1,788 (52 unemployed)

#39. Roanoke

- Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 47,289 (1,383 unemployed)

#38. Caroline County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 14,717 (447 unemployed)

#37. Lee County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 8,786 (260 unemployed)

#36. Northampton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 5,581 (168 unemployed)
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#35. Northumberland County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 5,808 (175 unemployed)

#34. Radford

- Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 9,043 (273 unemployed)

#33. Dinwiddie County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 13,172 (403 unemployed)

#32. Greensville County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,618 (143 unemployed)

#31. Prince Edward County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 11,148 (342 unemployed)
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#30. Wise County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 14,600 (453 unemployed)

#29. Bristol

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 7,362 (225 unemployed)

#28. Fredericksburg

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 13,978 (428 unemployed)

#27. Harrisonburg

- Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 24,318 (745 unemployed)

#26. Essex County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 5,306 (168 unemployed)
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#25. Halifax County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 16,225 (515 unemployed)

#24. Lunenburg County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 5,305 (170 unemployed)

#23. Prince George County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 14,770 (475 unemployed)

#22. Tazewell County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 16,236 (525 unemployed)

#21. Colonial Heights

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 8,196 (260 unemployed)
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#20. Dickenson County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 5,238 (175 unemployed)

#19. Richmond

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 116,025 (3,952 unemployed)

#18. Buckingham County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 6,279 (218 unemployed)

#17. Lynchburg

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 35,228 (1,250 unemployed)

#16. Norfolk

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 107,997 (3,767 unemployed)
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#15. Covington

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 2,428 (87 unemployed)

#14. Lexington

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 2,298 (85 unemployed)

#13. Newport News

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 86,748 (3,187 unemployed)

#12. Williamsburg

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 6,646 (248 unemployed)

#11. Hampton

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 63,094 (2,382 unemployed)
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#10. Portsmouth

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 43,303 (1,750 unemployed)

#9. Buchanan County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 6,540 (272 unemployed)

#8. Franklin

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.9%
- Total labor force: 3,539 (147 unemployed)

#7. Sussex County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 3,525 (152 unemployed)

#6. Brunswick County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 6,020 (262 unemployed)
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#5. Danville

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 20,006 (900 unemployed)

#4. Emporia

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 2,552 (120 unemployed)

#3. Hopewell

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 9,301 (435 unemployed)

#2. Martinsville

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -2.6%
- Total labor force: 5,992 (283 unemployed)

#1. Petersburg

- Current unemployment rate: 6.5%
--- 1 month change: -1.4%
--- 1 year change: -2.3%
- Total labor force: 12,244 (792 unemployed)
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