Chesterfield County's unemployment rate was 3.7% in September, up from 3.2% a year earlier. About 4,760 fewer residents had a job. Virginia was 3.6%.
Chesterfield County’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in September, up from 3.2% in September 2025. About 900 more county residents were out of work than a year earlier.
The number of residents with a job fell by about 4,760 over the same year. The labor force, people working or looking for work, shrank by about 3,860.
The county’s rate also rose from 3.5% in August. Virginia’s rate was 3.6%.
The figures are the preliminary September estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier. The BLS does not publish a separate rate for Midlothian, so the county is the closest measure.
Chesterfield against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Powhatan County | 3.0% | 2.6% |
| Virginia | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Chesterfield County | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Henrico County | 3.7% | 3.3% |
| Richmond metro area | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% |
| City of Richmond | 4.1% | 3.8% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Powhatan County, Virginia, Chesterfield County, Henrico County, the Richmond metro area, the United States and the city of Richmond.
Chesterfield matched Henrico County, across the James River, and sat just above the state rate. Powhatan County, its neighbor to the west, was lowest at 3.0%. The city of Richmond, about 10 miles from Midlothian, was highest in the group at 4.1%.
Every local area in the table was higher than a year earlier. Chesterfield’s rise of 0.5 points matched the Richmond metro area’s. The national rate went the other way, down from 4.3% to 4.0%.
The numbers behind the rate
In Chesterfield County in September, according to the BLS:
- 201,198 people were in the labor force, down from 205,053 a year earlier.
- 193,814 people had jobs, down from 198,571.
- 7,384 people were unemployed, up from 6,482.
The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force without a job and looking for one. These are counts of county residents, wherever they work. They are not counts of the jobs based in Chesterfield.
The BLS figures do not say why fewer residents were working. The labor force can shrink through retirements, people moving away, students or people who stop looking for work.
The past year, month by month
| Month | Chesterfield County |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 3.2% |
| October 2025 | no data |
| November 2025 | 3.7% |
| December 2025 | 3.3% |
| January 2026 | 3.7% |
| February 2026 | 3.8% |
| March 2026 | 3.7% |
| April 2026 | 3.3% |
| May 2026 | 3.5% |
| June 2026 | 3.8% |
| July 2026 | 3.7% |
| August 2026 | 3.5% |
| September 2026 | 3.7% |
The rate moved between 3.2% and 3.8% over the year. The BLS published no local figures for October 2025 because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations.
What it means for you
- If you are looking for work, Virginia Works runs the state’s job centers and listings at virginiaworks.gov. Chesterfield County posts its own openings on its careers page.
- The September figures are preliminary. The BLS revises them next month, and we will update this story if the rate changes.
- For local home values and rents, see our home prices page.
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