Northern Virginia lost 8,200 jobs as the commonwealth shed tens of thousands of federal workers between November 2024 and November 2025, new data shows.
Non-farm employment in Northern Virginia was down 0.5% as of November, according to data that the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reported yesterday (Wednesday). The commonwealth as a whole, meanwhile, had lost 22,400 federal jobs year-over-year — an 11.5% decrease.
The pace of contraction is slowing, however. Between September and November 2025, the state reported just 200 fewer federal jobs. (A count for October was not taken due to the federal government shutdown.)
Additionally, despite the federal job losses, the statewide jobs picture was in slightly positive territory in November. Total nonfarm employment was 4,628,100: up 8,400 jobs, or 0.2%, from a year before.
Northern Virginia also gained 5,900 jobs between October and November, a 0.4% increase.
Virginia non-farm employment by region, November 2025 (via Virginia Works)
Year-over-year, only four of 10 metropolitan areas in the commonwealth showed increases in employment. Winchester’s jobs total was up 1.9%, while in Charlottesville the growth was 1.3%, in Richmond 0.5% and in Staunton 0.2%.
In addition to Northern Virginia, declines were recorded in Harrisonburg (-1.4%), Blacksburg/Christiansburg (-1.3%), Hampton Roads (-1.1%), Lynchburg (-0.2%) and Roanoke (-0.1%).
The commonwealth’s labor-force participation rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points between September and November. The participation rate measures the proportion of the civilian population age 16 and older that is employed or actively looking for work.
The schedule of unemployment-data release was disrupted by the seven-week shutdown in the federal government beginning Oct. 1. Virginia jobs figures by locality for November are expected to be released around Jan. 16.