Department of Numbers

Richmond, Virginia Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Richmond fell 0.2 percentage points in November 2021 to 3.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Virginia rate. The unemployment rate in Richmond peaked in April 2020 at 11.8% and is now 8.0 percentage points lower. You can also compare Richmond unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 4.2% -0.4 -2.5
Virginia 3.4% -0.2 -2.4
Richmond 3.8% -0.2 -2.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2021 data as December metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Richmond, Virginia, National

Richmond, Virginia monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Richmond, Virginia Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Richmond peaked in April 2020 at 80,937. There are now 56,528 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Richmond employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Richmond, Virginia) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Richmond 24,409 -1,443 -16,266

Number of Unemployed Persons

Richmond, Virginia Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Virginia
Unemployment Rate		 Richmond
Unemployment Rate		 Richmond
Unemployed
December
2021		 3.9% — — —
November
2021		 4.2% 3.4% 3.8% 24,409
October
2021		 4.6% 3.6% 4.0% 25,852
September
2021		 4.7% 3.8% 4.1% 27,066
August
2021		 5.2% 4.0% 4.3% 28,378
July
2021		 5.4% 4.2% 4.5% 29,361
June
2021		 5.9% 4.3% 4.6% 29,941
May
2021		 5.8% 4.5% 4.6% 29,881
April
2021		 6.0% 4.7% 4.7% 30,507
March
2021		 6.0% 5.1% 5.5% 36,024
February
2021		 6.2% 5.2% 5.6% 36,758
January
2021		 6.4% 5.3% 5.7% 37,649

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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