Richmond, Virginia Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Richmond rose 0.1 percentage points in October 2023 to 3.1%. 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 8.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.8% in July 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.3 percentage points. You can also compare Richmond unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.9% | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Virginia | 2.7% | +0.2 | -0.4 |
| Richmond | 3.1% | +0.1 | -0.1 |
Unemployment Rate: Richmond, Virginia, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Richmond, Virginia Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Richmond peaked in April 2020 at 79,516. There are now 57,005 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 20,573 in July 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,938. Richmond employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Richmond, Virginia) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 22,511 | +768 | -379 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Richmond, Virginia Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Virginia Unemployment Rate |
Richmond Unemployment Rate |
Richmond Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2023 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 22,511 |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 2.5% | 3.0% | 21,743 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 20,977 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 20,573 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 20,872 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 21,147 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 3.1% | 3.0% | 21,471 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 21,805 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 22,187 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 22,644 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 22,719 |
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. ↩
Department of Numbers
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