Alexandria’s initial and continued unemployment claims just jumped by double percentage points

Initial (first time) and continued unemployment rose sharply for the week ending March 6.

Initial claims jumped 61%, with 440 claims over the 274 claims from the previous week. That’s the most initial claims since the week ending Jan. 30, which saw 479 initial claims.

Continued claims rose 12%, with 1,529 claims over the 1,365 claims from the previous week. That’s the highest number of continued claims so far in 2021.

The week ending March 6 is the 51st since the pandemic began in Virginia. Statewide, initial claims in Virginia rose 13% to 13,736 claims, and continued claims fell 3% to 62,269 claims.

According to VEC:

The week of February 28th – March 6th marks the 51st week since the COVID-19 crisis began in the Commonwealth. There were 13,736 initial unemployment benefit claims this week, a 13.0% increase compared to the week prior. This is the second consecutive week of increasing initial claims, although claims numbers have been on a downward trend since the last peak in the week ending January 9th, 2021.”

Looking for work? The Alexandria Workforce Development Center hosts weekly workshops, and there are a number of job openings with the city.

Learn more about filing a weekly or continued claim here.

The following employers are now hiring. Visit the WDC Job Board at https://t.co/LzNLggE1Ij for specifics on the positions below as well as other opportunities. pic.twitter.com/hZJIxdgFkX

— WDC Alexandria VA (@WDCAlexVA) March 15, 2021