Yesterday, Governor Youngkin announced that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) May 2025 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reports a sharp increase in job openings and hires. On the last business day in May, there were 251,000 job openings in Virginia, seasonally adjusted—an increase of 63,000 from April’s revised figure and one of the largest increases in the nation. The Virginia job openings rate rose to 5.5 percent from the prior month, significantly higher than the 4.6 percent increase of the national job openings, which had changed little over the month.
“The door of opportunity is wide open in the Commonwealth—Virginia has jobs,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This summer, an iconic global company in AstraZeneca committed to make their largest manufacturing investment in the world right here in Virginia, a federal agency is relocating its headquarters from Washington, D.C. to northern Virginia, Framatome opened a new state-of-the-art facility adding 500 jobs and BWXT was awarded a 10-figure contract to support our nuclear navy. With over $125 billion in capital investment in the Commonwealth since we started and 250,000 open jobs, Virginia is clearly the place to build your future.”
The number of hires in Virginia was also strong —163,000 in May, which represents a 25,000-increase from April’s revised figure and more than double the low set in April 2020. JOLTS defines hires as all additions to the payroll during the month. Just as with job openings, Virginia’s 3.8 percent hire rate was significantly above the national average of 3.4 percent. The number of openings per unemployed Virginians is 1.67 and climbing, which means that for every Virginian currently displaced or seeking employment, there are 1.67 job openings. Reenforcing signs of employee confidence, the number of Virginians voluntarily leaving their jobs surged by 33%, reflecting optimism about new opportunities in the labor market. In contrast, layoffs and discharges declined sharply. Overall, while hiring activity increased notably, total separations fell by 2,000, indicating greater market stability across the Commonwealth.
The JOLTS report provides insights into the dynamics of the labor market, including the demand for labor (job openings), hiring activity, and employee turnover (separations). For more details on the latest jobs and hiring data, visit the Virginia Works website at https://virginiaworks.com/.