Virginia Jobless Claims Rise to 2,624; 21,463 Continued 

The Big Picture

Virginia Works reported 2,624 initial unemployment insurance claims for the week ending Aug. 9, 2025. That’s a slight rise from the prior week’s 2,615 (+0.3%) and a 14.4% increase from the same week last year (2,294). Continued claims totaled 21,463, edging down 0.1% from a week earlier but running 28.7% above the comparable week in 2024 (16,675).

Nearly 73% of initial claimants identified an employer, allowing industry-level analysis. The top concentrations were in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (371); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (268); Manufacturing (197); Health Care and Social Assistance (177); and Retail Trade (174). Continued claims showed similar patterns: roughly 93% of claimants identified an employer, with the largest totals in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (4,756); Administrative and Support and Waste Management (2,436); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,952); Manufacturing (1,621); and Retail Trade (1,570).

What’s New

The week-to-week move was modest: initial claims nudged higher by nine filings, while continued claims dipped by 25. On a year-over-year basis, both measures remain higher, reflecting a labor market that is still expanding in some sectors but seeing pockets of churn in professional services, administrative support, and manufacturing.

What They’re Saying

Context

At the national level, seasonally adjusted initial claims were 224,000 for the same week, down 3,000 from the prior period, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly release (DOL). State-level figures like Virginia’s are not strictly comparable to the national, seasonally adjusted metric, but together they provide a timely read on labor market momentum.

What’s Next

Virginia Works posts weekly updates tracking claims and industry composition. Observers will be watching whether early-August’s mild uptick in initial claims gives way to stabilization or broader softening heading into late summer.

The Bottom Line

Claims remain relatively steady week to week, with year-over-year comparisons still elevated. Professional and administrative services continue to account for the largest share of both initial and continued filings.

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