How many jobs were lost in Virginia last month?
Refreshed monthly
Virginia lost 8,000 jobs in May 2026, ranking it last among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 5,000 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-8K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
50th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's loss of 8,000 jobs was the second consecutive month of negative job growth in Virginia. Monthly job growth was down from the 100 lost jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Virginia gained jobs in 41 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the fifth-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2021 (+37,400) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-23,200).
There were 8,000 fewer jobs in May 2026 in Virginia than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Virginia sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were accommodation and food services, local government, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. Accommodation and food services added 2,000 jobs, more than the entire economy. Local government gained 1,400 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,100 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 700 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Virginia (May 2026)
How does Virginia's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Virginia lost an average of 1,400 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 4,600, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 8,900 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 9,000 on average every month in 2015.
In 2025, Virginia lost an average of 1,400 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among nine metro areas primarily in Virginia during May 2026 ranged from a loss of 900 jobs in the Virginia Beach, VA area to a gain of 400 jobs in the Harrisonburg, VA area metro area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Virginia
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +400 | |
| 2. | +300 | |
| 3. | +200 | |
| 4. | +200 | |
| 5. | +100 | |
| 6. | +100 | |
| 7. | +0 | |
| 8. | -200 | |
| 9. | -900 | |
| 10. | -2,300 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
