www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-24 12:49:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia experienced the largest decline in employed residents nationwide in March, according to federal data that tracks where people live, not necessarily where they work.
However, economists advise that the drop may not signify a downturn in the commonwealth’s economy.
The Local Area Unemployment Statisticssurvey—a federal tool that measures how many residents are working—estimated nearly 15,000 fewer Virginians were employed in March. A separate federaldata source, the Current Employment Statistics report, which measures jobs reported by employers within the state, showed Virginia gained about 6,000 positions.
The difference boils down to how the two surveys are designed.
“The CES data are jobs data reported by Virginia-based employers … The LAUS data provides information on the employment status of Virginia residents, wherever they work,” said David Cooper, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute. That distinction matters in a place where thousands of residents cross into Washington, D.C. for federal jobs.
Virginia has one of the country’s highest concentrations of federal employees and contractors, with over 144,000 residents either working in or tied to the federal workforce—many commute daily to agencies and contract roles in D.C. or Maryland.
“It’s never a good idea to look at single-month changes in either of these surveys,” said David Cooper, a labor economist at the Economic Policy Institute. “The month-to-month patterns can reverse quickly just due to noise in the data.”
Still, the March numbers stood out. Cooper said one possible explanation is that some Virginians who work in D.C. may have lost jobs while in-state employers added positions, resulting in the conflicting data.
“It’s possible that even as the number of Virginia-based jobs has grown, a larger number of Virginia residents who work elsewhere are no longer employed—which could be a result of the state’s relatively large proportion of federal workers and contractors,” he said.
Cooper also said both federal job surveys are volatile and that any conclusions about job loss or gains in March alone would be premature.
An added wrinkle: some federal workers affected by recent changes coming from the White House may still be on administrative leave, which could impact how they’re reported in the surveys.
“All that being said, I would not be surprised at all in the months ahead to see both surveys showing a decline in Virginia-based jobs and Virginia-based employment,” Cooper said.
The jobs data came out around the same time Virginia’s Department of Accounts reported a$218 millionrevenue drop compared to March 2024, driven largely by lower individual income tax collections.
In an effort to stabilize the commonwealth during any future economic uncertainty, Gov. Glenn Youngkin secured legislative approval to add$300 millionto Virginia’s rainy day fund, bringing total reserves to about $5 billion.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-07-07 12:02:28
SUMMARY: The FBI and Justice Department released 11 hours of jail footage confirming Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in his Manhattan cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Investigators found no one entered Epstein’s area overnight before his death. Crucially, no client list or credible evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals was uncovered. Despite years of conspiracy theories, the investigation found no grounds to pursue uncharged third parties. Attorney General Pam Bondi reviewed the files under a directive from President Trump. Elon Musk once hinted at explosive information in the files but later retracted his statements. President Trump denies ties to Epstein.
The FBI and DOJ say new jail video confirms Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and shows no evidence of a blackmail “client list” or wrongdoing by others.
www.youtube.com – 12 On Your Side – 2025-07-07 11:37:49
SUMMARY: The Glen Allen 12-year-old All-Star team won the Babe Ruth League State Tournament this weekend. Curt Autry congratulated the team and wished them well on his Facebook page. The team’s victory is celebrated as a significant achievement, marking them as state champions in the Babe Ruth League. Community members and supporters expressed excitement and pride for the young players’ success in the tournament. This accomplishment highlights the dedication and talent of the Glen Allen team, bringing positive recognition to their hard work and teamwork throughout the competition.
Congrats to Glen Allen’s 12-year-old All-Star team!
Norfolk International Airport officials emphasize their airspace remains safe due to strong coordination with military and commercial partners, despite nationwide flight safety concerns following a deadly 2025 collision near Washington, D.C. Norfolk manages congested airspace alongside nearby military installations, with helicopters flying farther north over Chesapeake Bay, providing greater vertical separation than at Reagan Airport. FAA recently reduced helicopter operating areas near Norfolk to enhance safety. The airport, originally a military field, benefits from decades of civil-military cooperation, advanced radar, and control tower upgrades. Additionally, Virginia airports are receiving $5 million in federal grants to improve infrastructure and safety.
As scrutiny of flight safety intensifies nationwide, Norfolk International Airport officials say their shared airspace remains “safe,” thanks to close coordination with commercial airlines and military partners.
Questions about Norfolk’s airspace surfaced after a January collision between an American Airlines Bombardier jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. The crash, which killed all 64 people on board the jet, occurred as the plane prepared to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Reagan operates under restricted airspace to prevent aircraft from flying near high-risk areas and must accommodate heavy military and government air traffic. It’s located near the Pentagon, the White House, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
Like Reagan, Norfolk works closely with the military — especially the Navy and Air Force — to manage constrained airspace and ensure helicopter traffic remains safely separated from its commercial runways.
“I think we are in a better situation,” said Mark Perryman, president and CEO of Norfolk International Airport, at the May 15 meeting with leaders in Hampton. “We’re not quite as congested (as DCA), although we do have a very congested airspace for an airport in a region our size, given all of the military installations, but it’s something that we have very good cooperation with the DoD and the FAA. We are safe.”
Perryman told the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) that Norfolk has earned a reputation as one of the best domestic airports, expanding its nonstop flight offerings significantly over the past decade.
Del. Bonita Anthony, D-Norfolk, who sits on the HRTPO, acknowledged the heightened public interest in aviation safety. She said Norfolk’s advantage lies in the region’s long-standing civil-military coordination — something that travelers should take comfort in.
“Our airspace is safe because Hampton Roads has the strongest records of civil and military coordination in the country,” Anthony told The Mercury.
She pointed to efforts in the 1990s to install advanced radar systems and transfer control tower operations as examples of the region’s aviation leadership. Anthony, who served on the engineering team at the time, described the transfer process as intense and technically complex.
Perryman also addressed helicopter traffic in the airspace north of Norfolk’s Runway 5/23. Unlike Reagan Airport, where helicopters operate closer to the flight paths, military choppers in Norfolk fly farther north, over the Chesapeake Bay.
That distance provides “far greater vertical separation,” said airport spokesman Chris Jones — several hundred feet more than what’s typical in airspace near DCA.
In May, the FAA reduced the size of three designated helicopter operating areas near Norfolk’s approach paths, further enhancing safety.
Norfolk International Airport, originally a military field, has operated for 85 years. Within 20-miles are three military installations with runways used for fixed-wing aircraft: Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field, Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis on the peninsula in Hampton.
Virginia Beach’s Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story lacks a runway but supports military helicopter traffic, Jones said.
With multiple facilities nearby and Newport News operating its own commercial airport, Hampton Roads remains a “busy region for aviation,” Jones noted, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration.
“In a region with so many airports and air bases, this is to be expected,” Jones said. “Despite this, the conditions and practices now in place are such that they do not elicit safety concerns for travelers or military aviators.”
$5 million headed to Virginia airports
Seven airports in Virginia are set to receive a combined grant total of $5 million to support infrastructure improvements. The grants come through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration Airport Infrastructure Grant program.
U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, D-Va., have long supported improving Virginia’s airports.
“Investing in our airports means investing in safety, connectivity, and economic opportunity for communities across the Commonwealth,” said in a joint statement on June 27. “We’re proud to support these improvements that will help ensure Virginia’s airports continue to serve travelers and local economies for years to come.”
The grant awards
$2,948,555 to the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission to upgrade taxiways B, B1, B2, B3, and B4 at the Roanoke Regional Airport;
$730,000 to the City of Suffolk to expand the terminal apron Suffolk Executive Airport to allow for a wider variety of aircrafts;
$661,200 to the Chesapeake Airport Authority to remove trees obstructing operations at the Chesapeake Regional Airport;
$260,000 to the County of Halifax to install runway end identifier lights and a precision approach path indicator system at Halifax Stanfield International Airport;
$190,000 to the Town of Farmville to reconstruct the precision approach path indicator system for Runway 3/21 at Farmville Regional Airport;
$159,000 to the Dinwiddie County Airport and Industrial Authority to construct a new hanger for aircraft storage at Dinwiddie County Airport;
$110,000 to the Town of Tangier to reseal taxiway and apron pavement prolonging their lifespan at Tangier Island Airport.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This content presents information about Norfolk International Airport and related federal funding in a straightforward, factual manner without evident partisan framing. It highlights aviation safety, collaboration between military and civilian entities, and infrastructure investment supported by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. The coverage emphasizes practical concerns like safety and economic development rather than ideological viewpoints, maintaining a neutral tone appropriate for a broad audience. Thus, the overall presentation aligns with a centrist perspective.
