Numbers Compare Labor Force Participation and Unemployment from February 2020 to March 2021
According to the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), nearly 20,000 fewer Prince William County residents were working through the end of March than in February of 2020.
The most recent available unemployment data through the end of last quarter shows that that were 240,421 county residents in the labor force versus 252,003 in February of last year. In March, the unemployment rate stood at 5.2% versus 2.2% last year.
| Month | County Civilian Labor Force | Unemployment Rate | County Residents Working |
| Feb-20 | 252,003 | 2.2 | 247,437 |
| Mar-21 | 240,421 | 5.2 | 227,919 |
| (19,518) |
Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data, Civilian Labor Force in Prince William County and Unemployment Rate in Prince William County.
In April, only 266,000 jobs were added nationwide in contrast to the estimated 1,000,000 predicted by economists while the unemployment rate rose to 6.1%. The shortage of workers and increased unemployment rates are largely attributed to increased government benefits and the prolonged shutdown measures implemented by government leaders attributed to COVID-19.
– Coles District Staff