Virginia’s unemployment rate has risen for seven consecutive months, reaching 3.6%, a trend not seen since 2008, as the state grapples with federal job losses and manufacturing setbacks.

Job seekers across the region will have a chance to connect face-to-face with dozens of employers on Friday at the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Job Fair.

The latest U.S. jobs report, released Thursday, paints a mixed picture for job seekers. Employers added 147,000 jobs in June, and the national unemployment rate trickled to 4.1%. But for recent college graduates, the outlook is less encouraging.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Virginia’s nonfarm payroll employment rose by 1,200 jobs in May, bringing the total to 4,276,100.

Delta Star, a Lynchburg-based manufacturer of power transformers and mobile substations, announced a $35 million expansion of its East facility.

As nationwide unemployment reaches a 3-year high, local nonprofits and resources are offering help for employers and jobseekers.

Unemployment rates dropped in the month of June, Governor Youngkin said on Friday.

The program is specific to Roanoke City residents and businesses needing a little help.

Virginia Career Works announced Monday that it’s reopening its Lynchburg work center to its pre-pandemic hours in order to help more people find jobs.

The Virginia Employment Commission shut down its claims system in an effort to launch a new and improved one.

A review has found persistent problems at the Virginia Employment Commission since the pandemic began.

This comes as hiring slowed in August, likely due to the surge of the Delta variant.

In May, a judge ordered the Virginia Employment Commission to resolve a backlog of unemployment cases by Labor Day.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that Virginia’s unemployment rate fell to 4.2%, which is 3.7% lower than the rate from a year ago.

The Return to Earn program allows companies to sweeten their deal when offering incentives to eligible workers, thanks to matching bonuses up to $500 per new employee.

A 28-year-old man, who authorities said conspired with 36 others to fraudulently file nearly $500,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits, was sentenced to nine years in prison.

VEC claim processing backlog reduced to 40,000

Workers at the beleaguered Virginia Employment Commission are still responding to only a "small portion" of calls for help related to unemployment benefits, a state official told lawmakers Tuesday, presenting troubling preliminary findings from an ongoing agency audit.

The Virginia Poverty Law Center says they believe there are 30,000 new claims piling up on that backlog.

If you're receiving unemployment benefits -- there's something new to keep in mind. You're now required to submit your job search to the Virginia Employment Commission.

Job hunters and employers are finding their own ways keep up with competition and standout.

Put the final touches on your resume and get dressed for success because Saturday May 15 more than 20 employers looking to hire will be in the same place at once.

The Career Works Lynchburg Center says they're seeing about 1,500 people filing on a weekly basis.

The class-action lawsuit alleges plaintiffs stopped receiving benefits from the Virginia Employment Commission due to “failures in the insurance systems.”

The Virginia Employment Commission says that jobless workers collecting unemployment compensation will soon have to look for jobs again to receive benefits.

The Virginia Career Works Lynchburg Center is hosting the three-day job fair for Concentrix, which is looking to hire 80 to 100 customer service agents for a call center.

For those who turned to unemployment benefits last year, with tax season upon us, you might be wondering how it’s all going to shake out when it comes to filing your income taxes. But here’s the thing: You still have to pay federal taxes on said unemployment benefits. It ensures you won’t have that burden later, giving you a head start when tax season approaches. Pay quarterlyIf you didn’t have your taxes withheld, another option is to send quarterly estimated taxes on that money to the IRS. When quarterly taxes are due:When you get paid Tax due date Jan. 1–March 31 April 15 April 1–May 31 June 15 June 1–Aug.

ROANOKE, Va. – The nationwide unemployment rate finally saw a decline this October. But recent new numbers show jobless claims back up this week to nearly 750,000 as coronavirus stimulus talks remain stalled. With resumes in hand, a few people passed by the Roanoke Job Fair seeking employment on Thursday. In September, the unemployment rate in Virginia rose to 6.2% but now it’s slowly taking a downward turn. With a mini fair like this, Roanoke wants to help reduce those numbers even more.

A Virginia state agency that has faced criticism for its handling of an unprecedented flood of claims for unemployment benefits has hired a well-connected lobbying and communications firm to help with public relations, according to a purchase order. Dozens of Democratic Virginia lawmakers called for reforms at the agency last week, saying in a letter that they were worried about its ability to "adequately address" the high volume of claims sparked by the COVID-19 crisis. Republican state lawmakers and Democratic U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin have also separately raised concerns. The legislators say their offices have been flooded with calls and emails from constituents having trouble accessing unemployment benefits or reaching anyone at the commission for help. A persistent complaint from laid-off workers has been with getting in touch with the commission by phone.

Jobless Americans will still get state unemployment benefits, but the sunset of the Congress' $600 enhancement -- part of the $2 trillion economic aid package passed in March -- will leave more than 25 million people thousands of dollars poorer each month. And it will expose more of the real pain of mass unemployment, just as many states are reimposing shutdowns. “These emergency unemployment benefits have been propping up families and propping up the economy now for several months, said Kali Grant, senior policy analyst at the Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality. The provision was controversial from the start, mainly because the $600 boost, when added to state benefits, is more than what two-thirds of workers made on the job, according to an estimate from University of Chicago researchers. “The right thing to do for families and the economy is extend supercharged unemployment benefits,” said Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat.

CNN – Just thinking about the end of July fills Cathy Munzer with terror. That's when the extra $600 in weekly federal unemployment benefits is set to expire, with no sign of agreement in Congress on an extension. Munzer, a yoga and fitness instructor in New York City, lost her jobs at several sports clubs in mid-March amid the coronavirus pandemic. She depends on the enhanced payment to cover her rent and health insurance and buy food for herself and her daughter, Olivia. She doesn't think she'll be able to find another job before the $600 federal boost runs out in three weeks and hopes lawmakers take action.

Copyright 2020 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. President Donald Trump is speaking right now on the latest unemployment figures. WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump spoke on the latest unemployment figures. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Published: June 5, 2020, 9:45 am Updated: June 5, 2020, 11:26 amPublished: June 5, 2020, 9:45 am Updated: June 5, 2020, 11:26 amIf you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.

ROANOKE, Va. – A state delegate is calling on the federal government to take action ahead of the federal and state unemployment funds running out of money. Sam Rasoul, who represents Virginia’s 11th District, which covers part of the city of Roanoke, believes the federal government should put hundreds of billions of dollars into the funds. Otherwise, businesses will see a huge increase in their unemployment tax in order to replenish them. He said the state is paying about $90 million in unemployment claims a week as of Monday because of the coronavirus. On Monday, 10 News also reached out to Congressman Ben Cline for comment but he was unavailable.

RICHMOND, Va. – More than 100,000 Virginians filed unemployment claims in the past week, new data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor shows. Overall there have been more than 415,000 claims filed in the last month, which is about 9% of the state's workforce. The new figures come amid growing unhappiness from Republican lawmakers and others with Democratic Gov. Others said many Virginia businesses will not survive an indefinite closure. We need people to be working," said Thessen, a 42-year-old from Rockville who brought her four young children.

The number of applications submitted in Virginia during the week ending on March 28th rose to 114,104, an increase of 146.6% from the number of applications submitted the previous week and an increase of 5401.6% from the number of applications submitted the same week last year. Since March 14th, the state has processed 160,381 claims for unemployment. That represents 4.3% of the total workforce of Virginia that is eligible for the unemployment insurance program. Virginia contributed to a national increase in the seasonally-adjusted number of claims of 3069% over the same week last year. As of March 21st, 42,200 total people in Virginia were receiving unemployment benefits.