Labor Force

The Richmond-Petersburg metro area is a magnet for labor, drawing a workforce from more than 40 localities statewide. Diverse industries and companies combined with numerous educational institutions provide an ample supply of employees with positive work attitudes and a range of skills and experience for new and expanding companies.

Civilian Labor Force
651,148
Employment
624,637
Unemployment
26,511
Unemployment Rate (Percent)
4.1
Source: Virginia Employment Commission, March 2008
Labor Availability

Young people graduating from high school, college, and other training and entering the labor force are the largest continuing source of labor for the long term. In the Richmond MSA there are more than 13,000 high school graduates each year and the area's institutions of higher education confer more than 9,000 post-secondary degrees each year.

Area public high school graduates, 2006-2007
13,045
Going on to 4-year college
6,528
Going on to 2-year college
3,174
Going on to other training
904
Not continuing education
2,439
Area post-secondary degrees conferred, 2006-2007
9,547
Associates
1,488
Bachelor's
5,350
Degrees beyond Bachelor's
2,709
Commuters into MSA
29,258
Commuters out of MSA
28,612
Downsizing, FY 2006-2007
4,882
Net migration, 2000-2007
65,179
Underemployment, Q4 2007
32,194
Unemployment,March 2008
26,511
Unemployment Rate, March 2008
4.1