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VEC reduces backlog by 89%
Backlog of separation claims down to to 27,728 from 246,273
The Virginia Employment Commission has decreased its backlog by nearly 89%, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The VEC reduced the backlog of employment separation reports from 246,273 to 27,728 and unpaid pending claims from 24,887 to 15,846 claims. “Virginians deserve an unemployment insurance system that is responsive, efficient and customer focused,” Youngkin said in a
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GOP lawmakers push to protect workers who decline COVID vaccines
Bill would allow fired unvaccinated workers to receive unemployment benefits
Published
RICHMOND, Va. – Lawmakers narrowly passed a bill this month that would allow people fired for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine to receive unemployment benefits if no other misconduct took place. The measure advanced from the House of Delegates on a 51-48 party line vote and was assigned to a Senate committee on Feb. 10. The
Va. new jobless claims edged up last week
Continued claims remain in decline
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Virginia’s initial unemployment claims increased slightly last week while continued claims decreased again, as they have for several weeks, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the filing week ending July 17, the state recorded 6,304 new jobless claims, up 352 from the previous week, while continued claims totaled 35,202, down 1,135 from the previous
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Virginia Lottery reports record $3.26B in annual revenue
Nearly 30% increase in profits attributed to online lottery sales
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The Virginia Lottery posted an all-time record $3.26 billion in annual sales and a record $765 million in profits for the fiscal year that ended June 30, the lottery’s board announced Wednesday. The lottery saw a 52% increase in revenue and a nearly 30% increase in profits over the prior fiscal year. The introduction of
Virginia could receive $530M from $26B opioids settlement
Deal with drug distributors, Johnson & Johnson announced by states attorneys general
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Virginia is expected to receive about $530 million as part of a $26 billion settlement that the nation’s three primary drug distributors and pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson reached Wednesday with the states that would release the companies from legal liability in the opioid crisis. A majority of the roughly $530 million that Virginia is expected
Northam appoints members to newly created cannabis boards
Boards will regulate cannabis market and manage equity fund
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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has appointed members to three newly created oversight boards for the legalization of recreational marijuana, his office announced today. On July 1, Virginia’s adult-use cannabis legislation changes began going into effect. This year, the General Assembly legalized possession of up to one ounce in public and home cultivation of up to
Virginia to spend $700M on universal broadband by 2024
Federal stimulus funding will help cut 10-year goal to three years
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Ahead of the General Assembly’s August special session, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday he wants to spend $700 million of Virginia’s federal relief funding on expanding broadband access to all of Virginia. Virginia received $4.3 billion in federal funds through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in March. Joined by U.S. Sen. Mark Warner at
Virginia unemployment rate improves to 4.3% in June
State had the fourth-lowest jobless rate in U.S.
Published
Virginia’s unemployment rate dropped again in June, landing at 4.3%, 0.2 points below May’s jobless rate, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. In June 2020, the unemployment rate was at 8.8%, 4.5% higher than June 2021. Virginia also continued to trend lower than the nation, which was at 5.9% unemployment last month, and the state had
Va. jobless claims continued decline last week
New filings dipped below 6,000
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The state’s initial unemployment claims continued to decrease last week, dipping below 6,000 in the filing week ending July 10, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. Continued claims also decreased last week. For last week, initial claims totaled 5,952, a decrease of 873 claims from the previous week, while continued claims went down by 1,453
Virginia finishes FY21 with record $2.6B surplus
Revenue collections surged 26.4% between April and June
Published
Virginia reached the end of fiscal year 2021 with a $2.6 billion surplus, the largest in the commonwealth’s history, according to a statement released by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday. Total revenue collections grew 14.5% over fiscal year 2020, ahead of 2.7% growth projections. State collections reached $8.6 billion in the final quarter of