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Virginia Economy
Unemployment was 3.6% in Sep 2026, the 24th lowest of 51 states. Personal income averages $77,351 per person.
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- +0.2 pts in a year
- Labor force
- 4,461,175
- -1.2% in a year
- Income per person
- $77,351
- BEA, 2024
- Average annual pay
- $80,093
- QCEW, 2025
Unemployment rate in Virginia
Monthly, seasonally adjusted, compared with the U.S.
Show as a table
| Period | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 3.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 3.6% |
| Dec 2024 | 3.1% |
| Dec 2023 | 2.8% |
| Dec 2022 | 2.9% |
| Dec 2021 | 2.8% |
| Dec 2020 | 5.0% |
| Dec 2019 | 2.7% |
| Dec 2018 | 3.0% |
| Dec 2017 | 3.4% |
| Dec 2016 | 4.0% |
| Dec 2015 | 4.1% |
| Dec 2014 | 4.8% |
| Dec 2013 | 5.3% |
| Dec 2012 | 5.6% |
Beta
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics ยท Last updated 09/01/2026
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Counties in Virginia
Unemployment (Sep 2026, not seasonally adjusted), income per person (BEA) and average pay (QCEW). Largest labor force first.
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| # | County | Unemployment | 1 year | Labor force | Income per person | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax County | 3.4% | +0.1 pts | 624,457 | - | $115,004 |
| 2 | Prince William County | 3.5% | +0.2 pts | 258,641 | - | $65,975 |
| 3 | Loudoun County | 3.4% | +0.2 pts | 244,202 | $106,510 | $87,064 |
| 4 | Virginia Beach city | 3.5% | +0.4 pts | 229,827 | $76,347 | $60,043 |
| 5 | Chesterfield County | 3.7% | +0.5 pts | 201,198 | $69,378 | $63,057 |
| 6 | Henrico County | 3.7% | +0.4 pts | 181,313 | $81,054 | $73,260 |
| 7 | Arlington County | 2.9% | -0.1 pts | 149,311 | $131,624 | $131,075 |
| 8 | Richmond city | 4.1% | +0.3 pts | 128,031 | $80,007 | $87,347 |
| 9 | Chesapeake city | 3.7% | +0.4 pts | 124,004 | $65,771 | $60,385 |
| 10 | Norfolk city | 4.2% | +0.3 pts | 105,653 | $51,498 | $75,015 |
| 11 | Alexandria city | 3.2% | -0.1 pts | 97,772 | $120,602 | $93,636 |
| 12 | Newport News city | 4.2% | +0.2 pts | 87,653 | $53,320 | $70,965 |
| 13 | Stafford County | 3.6% | +0.3 pts | 82,889 | $70,313 | $65,799 |
| 14 | Spotsylvania County | 3.7% | +0.4 pts | 76,355 | - | $54,289 |
| 15 | Hampton city | 4.4% | +0.2 pts | 65,926 | $54,848 | $65,520 |
| 16 | Albemarle County | 3.3% | +0.5 pts | 61,963 | - | $74,902 |
| 17 | Hanover County | 3.1% | +0.3 pts | 60,757 | $81,533 | $60,259 |
| 18 | Suffolk city | 3.9% | +0.3 pts | 49,962 | $67,250 | $61,028 |
| 19 | Frederick County | 3.4% | +0.4 pts | 49,573 | - | $62,700 |
| 20 | Roanoke County | 3.3% | +0.3 pts | 49,382 | - | $56,270 |
| 21 | Roanoke city | 3.9% | +0.4 pts | 48,655 | $59,053 | $64,594 |
| 22 | Montgomery County | 3.9% | +0.4 pts | 48,358 | - | $62,085 |
| 23 | Rockingham County | 3.0% | +0.3 pts | 45,643 | - | $59,443 |
| 24 | Portsmouth city | 4.7% | +0.3 pts | 43,260 | $50,593 | $70,033 |
| 25 | Augusta County | 2.9% | +0.2 pts | 40,964 | - | $61,308 |
All 133 counties, A to Z
- Accomack County
- Albemarle County
- Alexandria city
- Alleghany County
- Amelia County
- Amherst County
- Appomattox County
- Arlington County
- Augusta County
- Bath County
- Bedford County
- Bland County
- Botetourt County
- Bristol city
- Brunswick County
- Buchanan County
- Buckingham County
- Buena Vista city
- Campbell County
- Caroline County
- Carroll County
- Charles City County
- Charlotte County
- Charlottesville city
- Chesapeake city
- Chesterfield County
- Clarke County
- Colonial Heights city
- Covington city
- Craig County
- Culpeper County
- Cumberland County
- Danville city
- Dickenson County
- Dinwiddie County
- Emporia city
- Essex County
- Fairfax city
- Fairfax County
- Falls Church city
- Fauquier County
- Floyd County
- Fluvanna County
- Franklin city
- Franklin County
- Frederick County
- Fredericksburg city
- Galax city
- Giles County
- Gloucester County
- Goochland County
- Grayson County
- Greene County
- Greensville County
- Halifax County
- Hampton city
- Hanover County
- Harrisonburg city
- Henrico County
- Henry County
- Highland County
- Hopewell city
- Isle of Wight County
- James City County
- King and Queen County
- King George County
- King William County
- Lancaster County
- Lee County
- Lexington city
- Loudoun County
- Louisa County
- Lunenburg County
- Lynchburg city
- Madison County
- Manassas city
- Manassas Park city
- Martinsville city
- Mathews County
- Mecklenburg County
- Middlesex County
- Montgomery County
- Nelson County
- New Kent County
- Newport News city
- Norfolk city
- Northampton County
- Northumberland County
- Norton city
- Nottoway County
- Orange County
- Page County
- Patrick County
- Petersburg city
- Pittsylvania County
- Poquoson city
- Portsmouth city
- Powhatan County
- Prince Edward County
- Prince George County
- Prince William County
- Pulaski County
- Radford city
- Rappahannock County
- Richmond city
- Richmond County
- Roanoke city
- Roanoke County
- Rockbridge County
- Rockingham County
- Russell County
- Salem city
- Scott County
- Shenandoah County
- Smyth County
- Southampton County
- Spotsylvania County
- Stafford County
- Staunton city
- Suffolk city
- Surry County
- Sussex County
- Tazewell County
- Virginia Beach city
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Waynesboro city
- Westmoreland County
- Williamsburg city
- Winchester city
- Wise County
- Wythe County
- York County
Jobs and pay by industry in Virginia
Private employers, annual average 2025 (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)
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| Industry | Jobs | 1-year change | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 515,208 | +3.4% | $67,912 |
| Professional and technical services | 464,538 | -1.2% | $139,606 |
| Retail trade | 390,175 | -0.5% | $40,722 |
| Accommodation and food services | 347,541 | +0.5% | $28,868 |
| Administrative and support services | 248,713 | +0.2% | $65,278 |
| Manufacturing | 236,465 | -2.4% | $79,282 |
| Construction | 229,192 | +5.2% | $82,626 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 166,763 | +10.1% | $61,809 |
| Finance and insurance | 145,810 | +0.5% | $139,565 |
| Other services | 137,692 | +0.6% | $61,800 |
| Wholesale trade | 113,053 | -0.1% | $112,077 |
| Management of companies | 91,384 | +1.1% | $166,912 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 70,800 | +3.6% | $37,974 |
| Educational services | 69,500 | +0.3% | $54,563 |
| Information | 68,170 | -2.0% | $154,076 |
| Real estate and rental | 61,750 | +2.6% | $82,788 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 12,758 | -0.9% | $48,252 |
| Utilities | 11,801 | +3.8% | $136,457 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 5,228 | -7.3% | $93,324 |
Government employs 744,458 people (17.9% of all jobs): 187,884 federal, 149,611 state and 406,963 local.
Output and businesses in Virginia
Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau
- GDP
- $762B
- 2024, current dollars
- Real GDP growth
- +2.4%
- Adjusted for inflation
- Employer businesses
- 210,842
- 3,581,650 employees
- Professional and technical services32,23115.3%
- Retail trade25,87212.3%
- Health care and social assistance23,81211.3%
- Other services23,62711.2%
- Construction21,11810.0%
- Accommodation and food services19,4189.2%
- Real estate and rental11,6115.5%
- Administrative and support services11,5775.5%
- Finance and insurance10,6425.0%
- Wholesale trade6,5293.1%
Source: BEA Regional Economic Accounts; Census County Business Patterns 2023
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the unemployment rate in Virginia?
- Virginia's unemployment rate was 3.6% in Sep 2026, seasonally adjusted, compared with 4.2% for the U.S.
- Which county in Virginia has the highest unemployment?
- Emporia city has the highest rate at 7.5%, and Bath County has the lowest at 2.6% (not seasonally adjusted).
- What is the largest industry in Virginia?
- Health care and social assistance is the largest private employer with 515,208 jobs, followed by professional and technical services (464,538) and retail trade (390,175).
- What is the average salary in Virginia?
- The average annual pay for jobs covered by unemployment insurance in Virginia was $80,093 in 2025, or $1,540 a week.
- How big is Virginia's economy?
- Virginia's GDP was $762B in 2024, about $86,451 per resident.