Virginia’s November unemployment rate increased to 2.8%, representing a one-half percentage point decline below last year’s rate and remains below the national unemployment rate of 3.7%. The number of employed residents dropped by just over 7,400 as employers dropped 2,200 jobs in November. The Commonwealth’s labor force participation rate, which measures the proportion of the civilian population age 16 and older that is employed or actively looking for work is at 63.6%.