Virginia's rising unemployment is creating a new sense of uncertainty about the state's economy.
Unemployment claims spiked sharply during the first week of March, leading to fears that Virginia's economy might be in trouble.
"The numbers are not pleasant, but it's one data point and we know basically why this is happening – so, it's partially connected to uncertainly connected to tariffs on the private side," says Oleg Korenok at Virginia Commonwealth University. "And then on the federal government side it's connected to firing a lot of people."
He notes it's still early in the Trump administration, and we're expecting more numbers later this week and then again next month. John Provo at Virginia Tech says he expects to see increased unemployment in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
"What I'm going to be paying particular attention to are these other parts of Virginia, and seeing if looking into the data if we can understand what sectors in particular, both government but industries that may be connected to government or working with government have some of these impacts", Provo says.
During the first week of March, unemployment claims were up 40% compared to last year. That means the next few rounds of numbers will be an important indication of where the economy is headed as election season heats up.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
