State, national unemployment soars
Virginia’s unemployment rate for January rose a full percentage point in a month, to 6 percent.
January’s rate almost doubled the figure for the same month last year, 3.4 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 8.1 percent in February, the highest in 26 years. That was up from January’s 7.6 percent, and represents 12.5 million Americans who now are out of work, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And the number of people who haven’t had jobs for more than six months rose 10 percent last month to 2.9 million. That figure has doubled since last year.
State unemployment rates in the continental United States varied from 3.7 percent in Wyoming to 11.6 percent in Michigan. Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate was highest, at 13 percent.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Doug
Cumming
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd