The Commonwealth Institute monitors how workers are fairing in the economy through research and analysis around employment, wages, benefits and income. In addition, each year the Institute produces The State of Working Virginia, a comprehensive analytical snap shot of Virgina’s workforce and economy. Reports and analyses from the current year are posted here. Work from prior years can be found in the Archive or by using the Categories and Tags at right.
Current Analysis (2011)
Unemployed, Underutilized, Undone
First Year of Recovery More Like Another Year of Recession
Virginia faces greater challenges now than after prior recessions
Released November 10, 2011
Unemployment in Virginia rose 14 percent in 2010 – the largest jump in the South Atlantic Region — to its highest level since the recession of the early 1980s, making the first year of recovery seem more like another year of recession for many Virginians. In addition, nearly four years since the start of the Great Recession – a point when Virginia had not only regained but surpassed pre-recession employment levels in prior recessions – Virginia remains 128,200 jobs below pre-recession job levels.
Virginia Backslides on Jobs
New data data shows significant job loss in the Commonwealth
Released July 22, 2011
RICHMOND, VA – “Today’s employment report that shows significant job loss in Virginia and continued high unemployment levels reinforces just how far Virginia has to go before digging out of the deep jobs hole caused by the recession,” says Michael Cassidy, President of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. According to today’s report, private and government payrolls in Virginia fell by 14,600 jobs in June.
Poverty in the Commonwealth
New report shows increase in poverty in Virginia and includes new locality-by-locality poverty numbers
Released April 5, 2011
RICHMOND, VA – About 157,000 Virginians have joined the ranks of the poor since the recession began, according to a new report by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, and children are 47 percent more likely than adults to live in poverty in Virginia. In 2009, more than one in 10 Virginians lived in poverty.
Virginia Has a Long Way to Go to Regain Jobs
In Fits and Starts: Virginia’s Modest Jobs Recovery and the Challenges Ahead
Released January 25, 2011
RICHMOND, VA— The recession has created such an enormous jobs gap in Virginia that the state needs to add over 263,000 jobs in order to return to pre-recession employment levels, according to a new report released today by The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. Unfortunately, recent jobs growth has been mixed with some high growth months and others with sluggish growth. As Governor McDonnell travels to Washington to testify before Congress on the policies that foster and sustain job growth in Virginia, this new information on the state of Virginia’s jobs picture provides sobering information on the challenges ahead for the state.