The dashboards on this page include data on employment levels,
unemployment rate, and the jobs-housing balance across Virginia from
2008 through 2021. Jobs and housing are deeply intertwined. Without an
adequate housing supply, communities can struggle to attract jobs and
economic growth. This can lead to increases in commute times, greater
traffic impacts, and sprawling development.
Employment levels
The following dashboard shows the employment levels across Virginia
from 2008 through 2021 by month. The data have not been seasonally
adjusted; therefore, you will see spikes across time that reflect the
influences of seasonal patterns in employment and unemployment.
Unemployment rate
The following dashboard shows the unemployment rate from 2008 through 2021. Unemployment rate is the share of people in the labor force (all people age 16 and older who are working or looking for work) that do not have a job but are actively looking for work.
Jobs-housing growth
When the number of jobs are growing faster than the supply of housing, communities can face challenges in housing affordability. Growing demand from new employees can drive housing demand up and impact existing residents. However, slow housing growth can also have a negative impact on economic growth within communities.
Additional resources
American Planning Association
Jobs-Housing Balance
Planning Advisory Service, Report Number 516
Data sources
Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
Monthly and annual estimates released by the Bureal of Labor Statistics. Available at the locality level from 1976 to 2021.
Census Population Estimates Program (PEP)
Annual estimates of total population released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Available at locality level from 2010 to 2019. Estimates by age, race, and ethnicity also available, along with components of population change.
Initial data from the 2020 Decennial Census is available in the PL 94-171 Redistricting summary file. As of February 2022, we use this data to append 2020 population counts onto the PEP time series data through 2019. Complete 2010 to 2020 Intercensal Estimates will be published in late 2022.
