NORFOLK, Va. — More than 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, according to new U.S. Department of Labor data, totaling more than 30 million unemployment claims in the past six weeks.
The number of unemployment claims filed per week is declining - both nationally and in Virginia - but claim volume is still at a historic level as the unemployment rate reaches 15 percent.
More than 74,000 Virginians filed for unemployment in the most recent reported week, a decrease in the number of initial claims in the Commonwealth for the third straight week.
Robert Mcnab, an economics professor at Old Dominion University, said layoffs will continue as long as social distancing measures need to be kept in place.
“If we think of 30 million unemployment claims, that’s the equivalent of firing every employed person in France in six weeks, and then going into Italy and firing three million more," Mcnab said.
Mcnab said most cities in Hampton Roads are reporting about 10 percent unemployment right now. He said the Hampton Roads economy is helped by the high number of government and military jobs that are not as affected by the economic crash.
“Perhaps if we do this right, the economic rebound might be a little bit quicker," he said.