Virginia Beach unemployment sits at 3.7%, below the U.S. rate, even as total jobs slipped. Here is what that tight, flat market means for pay, sourcing and speed.
Virginia Beach unemployment is 3.7%, below the national 4.2% and unchanged from 3.7% a year earlier. Total nonfarm jobs moved −0.6% over the same period. That is an unusual mix: the job base shrank slightly, but the pool of people looking for work did not grow. Candidates are not flooding in. The ones who apply usually have options.
Pay adds a second layer. For many high-volume roles, local medians run below the national figure. Customer service reps sit at $18.34 against $21.53 nationally, and retail salespeople at $14.82 against $17.03. Virginia now requires a pay range in every job posting, so candidates can compare offers side by side before they ever talk to you.
The sections below cover the labor snapshot, wages for common roles, the industry mix, and the state hiring rules. Each one comes with practical steps for employers and recruiters filling roles in this market.
With unemployment at 3.7% and a labor force of 864,300, the pool is steady but not growing, while nonfarm jobs moved −0.6%. Expect competition for every solid applicant. Plan to win on response speed, not on volume of applicants.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, CES). "Preliminary" figures may be revised. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
| Occupation | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives of services | $15.47 | $27.05 | $59.50 | 5,810 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing | $17.83 | $29.70 | $62.76 | 3,650 |
| Telemarketers | $13.40 | $18.98 | $35.17 | — |
| Customer service representatives | $14.57 | $18.34 | $27.48 | 10,960 |
| Retail salespersons | $12.96 | $14.82 | $21.43 | 20,890 |
| Cashiers | $12.82 | $14.10 | $17.05 | 16,840 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | $14.85 | $18.83 | $27.13 | 13,920 |
| Fast food and counter workers | $13.18 | $13.84 | $17.00 | 22,520 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $13.30 | $16.15 | $21.81 | 11,840 |
| Sales managers | $37.70 | $76.32 | $137.12 | 1,270 |
Most entry and mid-level medians here sit below the national figures. Telemarketers ($18.98 vs. $17.04) and sales managers ($76.32 vs. $71.28) are the exceptions. With fast food and counter workers starting near $13.18 and the state minimum at $12.77, entry pay has little room above the floor.
143,300 jobs · 17.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest sector at 17.3% and grew +1.3%, so expect steady competition for warehouse, driver and retail candidates, and keep requisitions open and pipelines warm.
126,900 jobs · 15.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Private education and health services holds 15.3% of jobs and grew +1.3%, which means aides and clinic staff are in demand, and quick interview booking helps you reach them before another provider does.
121,700 jobs · 14.7% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Professional and business services at 14.7% grew only +0.3%, so contact-center and sales hiring will lean on re-engaging past applicants as much as on new sourcing.
101,800 jobs · 12.3% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Leisure and hospitality makes up 12.3% and grew +1.0%, so plan for high-volume, repeat hiring of servers, housekeepers and front-desk staff, with templated outreach ready before demand peaks.
53,800 jobs · 6.5% of nonfarm employment · August 2026
Manufacturing fell −4.4%, so experienced production, machine and shipping workers may be open to warehouse, logistics and quality roles in growing sectors.
Trade, transportation, and utilities leads at 17.3% of jobs and is growing, along with health and education and hospitality. Manufacturing is contracting at −4.4%. Hiring demand is concentrated in frontline, shift-based roles where speed matters most.
The table summarizes Virginia rules on background checks, ban-the-box, minimum wage, non-competes and pay transparency as general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant state agency or your own counsel before changing postings, offers or screening steps.
Virginia bars employers from requiring applicants to disclose expunged records and, for most employers, sealed records; no state credit-check limit was identified.
Source: Code of Virginia, § 19.2-392.4 and § 19.2-392.15 · checked October 15, 2026Virginia's ban-the-box laws cover only state agencies and local governments as employers; they do not reach private employers.
Source: Code of Virginia, § 2.2-2812.1 and § 15.2-1505.3 · checked October 15, 2026Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 an hour in 2026, rising by statute to $13.75 on January 1, 2027 and $15.00 on January 1, 2028.
Source: Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.10 (Virginia Minimum Wage Act) · checked October 15, 2026Virginia bans non-competes for low-wage employees (below the state average weekly wage) and licensed health care professionals, and a non-compete is unenforceable if the employee is laid off without severance.
Source: Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.7:8 · checked October 15, 2026Since July 1, 2026 Virginia employers must include the wage or salary range in every public and internal job posting and may not seek applicants' pay history.
Source: Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.7:12 · checked October 15, 2026Full detail on the state rules is on the Virginia hiring page.
General information, not legal advice.
Employment rules change and have exceptions that depend on employer size, industry and facts. This summary reflects the sources shown as of the dates shown (legal sources checked October 15, 2026). Confirm requirements with the relevant agency or qualified counsel before acting.
Unemployment at 3.7% means good candidates rarely wait. Send a text acknowledging each application, then offer an interview slot in the same message. A flat labor pool rewards the employer who replies first, not the one with the longest job ad.
Manufacturing jobs fell −4.4% while Trade, transportation, and utilities grew +1.3%. Production and shipping experience carries over to warehouse, material handling and route roles. Write postings that name those transferable skills, and tag past applicants with manufacturing backgrounds so you can reach them as a group.
Services sales pay spans $15.47 to $59.50 an hour, and Virginia now requires a range in every posting. A single wide range can read as vague. State the base, describe how commission works, and give a realistic typical figure so candidates trust the number.
Retail, hospitality and food service hire repeatedly, and entry pay sits close to the $12.77 state minimum. Set up one repeatable flow: capture, screen, schedule, remind. Then move groups of candidates through it in bulk instead of one at a time.
Customer service reps earn a median $18.34 here versus $21.53 nationally, and remote roles can pull candidates toward national pay. If you cannot close that gap, put schedule, location and growth path at the top of the posting. Then follow up quickly so candidates hear from you before a remote employer calls.
In a market where unemployment sits below the national rate and the job base is flat, the hiring problem is speed and reach, not applicant volume. Conversational SMS and automations let your team reply to applicants in one inbox and trigger messages on status changes. Self-service interview scheduling puts booking and reminders in the candidate's hands. Audience segmentation helps you build filtered groups, such as past applicants with manufacturing experience, and target outreach to them. Each one cuts the delay between an application and a first conversation.
Unemployment is 3.7%, below the U.S. rate of 4.2%, and it has been flat over the year. Nonfarm jobs moved −0.6%, so the market is not expanding, but available workers are still limited. Plan for candidates who weigh more than one offer.
Check the wage table for your role. Many local medians sit below the national figures, such as customer service reps at $18.34 and laborers and material movers at $18.83. Entry roles start close to the state minimum of $12.77. Pricing near or above the local median helps when candidates can see competing ranges.
According to the rules summarized on this page, Virginia employers must include the wage or salary range in every public and internal job posting and may not seek applicants' pay history. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the details with the state agency or your counsel.
Services sales pay here runs from $15.47 to $59.50 an hour, a spread driven largely by commission. Separate base pay from variable pay in the posting and explain how commission is earned. Candidates respond better to a clear structure than to one wide number.
Yes, texting is one of the fastest ways to reach applicants, but get opt-in consent before you send messages. Honor STOP and other opt-out replies right away and keep records of consent. Review your consent language with counsel.
Build one repeatable workflow before demand starts: application capture, screening, interview booking and reminders. Use templates for common messages and move candidates in groups rather than one at a time. That keeps response times short even when applications spike.
Sources and data currency
Labor data as of August 2026; wage data May 2025; rules checked October 15, 2026. Next scheduled review: January 20, 2027. This page is educational market information for employers.
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