[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6316123,"mediaKeyId","2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31","parentId",2377719,"title","Virginia Employment Commission says trust fund is solvent and agency is prepared for federal-related claims","audioSeconds",849,"startMs",3645000,"endMs",4494000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31&start=3645&end=4494","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31/thumbnail_3645000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6316123/Virginia/Virginia-Employment-Commission-says-trust-fund-is-solvent-and-agency-is-prepared-for-federal-related-claims","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316123-3caaca15f0c5367522d74fffb1c6d3c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097223&Signature=CynWz2wWzIdhi-wjlgTYrExAKU3Wlps3HyNj2cwWycqq3Fxyhut~eQL2sMXkPTeYNxKtNCuxtPtxyiBO0CBtsa5rZKfr5L115Bf2VwQglvAA5qBkTjANw6qszudh7YplbPMDdbKE~vxbPZ-znWYc776FIBtdybBVK9Xcj18oQ12q-VeTVQY5HCAniSZz-HwiMFvYu98VYM0NH9T~Cg-8ll5wVjjl0~5KZeeQm0z0XLrNi7~UVz3LqHItfIkJOGJCE6clzGCtT~c6MuhZvoqPBd-mEZab7VoYfLawpd6-M4Ln00r4y3MNyayiNGfFFQpmkwZ2yt-wxwA-62PfdE6uvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Virginia","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","Mitch Melas, commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission, told the committee that the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance was $1,485,000,000 and that VEC’s solvency measure (the fund balance factor) was about 58%.

Melas explained that unemployment insurance (UI) is intended to provide temporary financial assistance to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and that the Trust Fund is financed by employer taxes. He said federal employers are treated as reimbursable employers (the federal government reimburses the state for federal UI payouts) and that local governments and some state entities can similarly be reimbursable.

Melas gave operational detail on current caseloads: as of the presentation, the VEC had received fewer than 300 initial claims since Feb. 1 from separated federal employees and about 70 confirmed federal unemployment claims in the week ending Feb. 15. Using a sample of top government contractors, VEC had identified roughly 120 contractor-related UI claims in the same period.

Melas described technology and process improvements at VEC since the pandemic: higher online claim rates (75–80%), robotic process automation to speed adjudication, ID verification through ID.me, telephony fraud detection, a redesigned VEC website with a federal-worker landing page and workforce partners such as Virginia Works and the new virginiahasjobs.gov portal for job seekers.

On eligibility questions, Melas told the committee that misconduct (for example, falsifying information or failing a drug test) can render a claimant ineligible, but that poor performance alone typically does not make a claimant ineligible for UI. He also said the statutory maximum benefit is $378 per week for up to 26 weeks. VEC staff said they will continue to coordinate with DC and Maryland colleagues to obtain federal wage records more quickly to reduce wait times for federal-worker claims.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions Saturday, Feb 22, 2025 9:46 AM - 12:09 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Virginia Employment Commission told House members the state’s UI Trust Fund held about $1.485 billion and that the agency had prepared processes and digital tools to handle federal employee and contractor claims.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316133,"Regional planners: Northern Virginia most exposed as roughly 315,000 Virginians work for federal government",1007,1594000,2601000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31&start=1594&end=2601","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31/thumbnail_1594000.jpg","/articles/6316133/Virginia/Regional-planners-Northern-Virginia-most-exposed-as-roughly-315000-Virginians-work-for-federal-government","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316133-63c682b6bcfe8017c65b9ad57bb8c150/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097223&Signature=FpsbAiV1wH6StNn5PcbyH-Jsp-c6m5B~Hmd7gGylfJKwJLn4g9dVJPJosmBvMs9S1IflP1-O6tm9uFsUoJuAiVjApwdar7nIjCI76T~GSD~qxopTHiY1kumtdDeVv~MUfUZINU2UK3E5dZljNks-rqm9252EheIJkNEAT0rLr~sjuiVcsQQ4DXURWgUMc6~fVrc0796wJfCHWbEZ8dVsRhjXg5gJaXJtISVOB~m0j~gDMex~vRzS7JofBMMNJR2g1BuHJ7g-l5~7wG99r62pFcv0g5jWfqyKzY9uLIzvA~9x3XwxKRTTeOzbDXSpqrjMvkdFQMS1JzCjVrgwFHOoZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clark Mercer, executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, told the House committee that data show roughly 315,000 Virginians hold federal positions and that the National Capital Region as a whole is larger still.

Mercer said: \"The number is closer as you see from last year's census, 315,000 federal workers in Virginia.\" He added that the National Capital Region employs roughly 400,000 federal workers, with \"Hundred And 60 Thousand plus of those are in Northern Virginia.\" Mercer emphasized the role of contractors and the multiplier effects of high-paying federal jobs on local service sectors.

Mercer walked members through three categories of workforce movements he has tracked: probationary employees (who may be easier to separate), those accepting buyouts (about 75,000 accepted offers reported publicly), and formal reductions in force. He warned that available public statistics are fluid and incomplete and recommended that the committee secure better line-of-sight from OPM and agency payroll records to map which skill sets will be released and where private-sector demand exists.

He also highlighted potential non-payroll impacts: SNAP and Medicaid adjustments could increase food insecurity among up to an estimated 20,000 additional Virginians in Mercer’s modeling; changes to Defense Department procurement and a reported administration goal that could translate to multi-year defense reductions; and the possibility that GSA real estate decisions will shift office leases and federal footprints in Northern Virginia. Mercer urged the committee to refine census-tract level analyses to identify particularly exposed communities.

Mercer closed by recommending a focused effort to match skills of displaced federal employees with current job openings and to identify upskilling programs the state could scale.","Clark Mercer of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments told the House emergency committee that about 315,000 Virginians work in federal roles and that Northern Virginia and the National Capital Region face the largest exposure to federal workforce reductions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316117,"State and local leaders: federal funding underpins core services; Medicaid and federal contracts dominate exposure",1504,5504000,7008000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31&start=5504&end=7008","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31/thumbnail_5504000.jpg","/articles/6316117/Virginia/State-and-local-leaders-federal-funding-underpins-core-services-Medicaid-and-federal-contracts-dominate-exposure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316117-6fcf93255406a87030d51a7357a0a39b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097223&Signature=Z5r3AOJE7H1-IEuDzBjR5ruiOSt0vCe98wwiuEJw-n8qvXCSC0AmTFKolMtOnLGLdVGIv1ZbfhKwnKwRmdGIIiYGptqE9X-ZC7Q7UCh9FQBqvPeT-XCX4lBKsJvhqIttuPSFDJXp6e5oYGDzJ30-B-IAqpcN7uJLT8f6eNud7QQ2OMzJ3ASuvg55vlmCG94SETabfi525RJhKwNUjmc91ilBV8xR-WaS50tW50WV5-OaI18ub4-fzgY-sZx9jhLxrJXqImO~drH-EEn6uKMTWBsf9HRJ~g0oYdS7v3vZOo7JAtf5g-5SiAUaHpZCCTAn5GS-QIXESg8WGjsbFaOFqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kim McKay and David Reynolds, House Appropriations staff, and Joe Flores of the Virginia Municipal League briefed the committee on the budgetary scale of federal funding in Virginia.

McKay summarized state accounting work showing roughly one-third of state spending in fiscal 2024 runs through federal funds, concentrated in the secretariats for Health and Human Resources (HHR) and Education. \"Medicaid dominates federal spending at the state level with $14,600,000,000 in expenditures,\" McKay said. She noted that federal funds in FY24 supporting education, veterans services and other programs are large and that some non‑general fund revenues (for example, federal pass-throughs and higher-education tuition) are constrained to specified uses.

McKay described budget language included in the Appropriations Act that directs the Department of Taxation to estimate impacts to the state general fund from federal tax law changes and requires General Assembly action if declines exceed $100 million; similar language applies to declines in federal grant support. She also noted bills moving through the legislature that would alter foreclosure stays for impacted homeowners and temporarily allow the revenue stabilization and reserve funds to exceed normal caps so the Commonwealth can set aside additional contingency resources.

Joe Flores, director of fiscal policy for the Virginia Municipal League, said local governments receive about $3 billion in federal pass-through funding (FY2023 data) and about $1.4 billion in direct federal aid. He said the share of federal funding varies by locality; two Virginia localities reported more than 30% of revenues from federal sources in FY2023, and 10 localities report more than 20% federal reliance. Flores stressed that gaps in federal guidance and frozen reimbursements are creating practical problems for small localities trying to complete projects.

Both state staff and VML recommended establishing baselines for federal grants (awards through Sept. 30, 2024) to compare against future changes, and requested that agencies and the committee prioritize more granular grant- and locality-level reporting so localities and the state can better model potential revenue shortfalls and program impacts.","State budget staff and the Virginia Municipal League told a House emergency committee that about one-third of state spending is supported by federal funds, with Medicaid alone accounting for roughly $14.6 billion in FY24.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316137,"House of Delegates launches emergency panel to study federal workforce and funding cuts",7682,846000,8528000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31&start=846&end=8528","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31/thumbnail_846000.jpg","/articles/6316137/Virginia/House-of-Delegates-launches-emergency-panel-to-study-federal-workforce-and-funding-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316137-d7bee576c81d08721018594cf2a994a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097223&Signature=gQAiBaw017T7QT~~5MA~iESda4I8SsrzFGsLfJiMdbaZs19jWVp6IvIpAWDsJ6ZeK8yQp~XWc8Bc8SBAPNblvaTMSfxEXiVRCPCAjklvUqnadEZGJNlUeOp3-AqE8CN715G1QgLFZSaJf2u7DaqwPcvHDIJMFr7oXj1HBU0qgeTAzWco~3nzp~~iwHISd1ok8h6L0B6kOsOAkcpYPpO2uERDtmXxBxhQNGkZ7ftabfYyyhGeBfh4U9MBiTF~UuCsOidCpQR6pOrUimJkFdFgskbdmxdzVXkQibqHkotyqoQq7YO90YULVw3hyEbQ4zUupRuIe1CV1jWTXPRt2H396g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair David Bulova, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 11th District, convened an emergency committee on the impacts of federal workforce and funding reductions and asked the panel to collect data, assess budgetary and economic risks and recommend responses to the General Assembly.

\"We are here today because federal workforce reduction can and cuts in spending not only affect, the ability of individual families to support themselves, it's also gonna have a ripple effect on, our economy and affect our our state budget,\" Bulova said during opening remarks.

The committee was established by the Speaker and is bipartisan; Bulova said members were chosen to bring geographic and professional diversity to the work. He asked staff and presenters to prioritize scenarios and data that will allow the group to estimate possible revenue and program impacts and to recommend actionable policy options. The panel expects several follow-up meetings in different regions of the state to gather local perspectives.

Presenters at the organizational meeting included Clark Mercer of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Eric Scorsone of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Mitch Melas of the Virginia Employment Commission, Kim McKay and David Reynolds from budget staff, and Joe Flores of the Virginia Municipal League. Members and presenters discussed data gaps at federal sources such as the Office of Personnel Management and the need for consistent scenario modeling across agencies.

Bulova told members that the committee’s work should be both analytic and practical: collect and analyze data about potential federal cuts; engage stakeholders including state agencies, businesses and nonprofits; and deliver policy recommendations for resiliency and aid to affected Virginians. The panel plans at least four meetings—Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, a meeting focused on rural areas and a final session in Richmond—to collect evidence and return recommendations to the House.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that passed by voice vote.","Chair David Bulova convened a bipartisan Emergency Committee to gather data, assess economic impacts and produce policy recommendations after federal workforce and spending reductions. The panel plans regional hearings and will request scenario modeling and agency data.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6316128,"Weldon Cooper: 10% federal workforce cut could cost Virginia about 40,000 jobs and $250 million in tax revenue",352,3001000,3353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31&start=3001&end=3353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2377719-c00527fd71e05653fd69bb4474a23b31/thumbnail_3001000.jpg","/articles/6316128/Virginia/Weldon-Cooper-10-federal-workforce-cut-could-cost-Virginia-about-40000-jobs-and-250-million-in-tax-revenue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6316128-e6e2f123405c758224cb8c38a3501d5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771097223&Signature=JsuUHsxoxEzgP6LydtQ3uodCmAhMF75LdymtHjUA3M6Ma2jVTsB62HCvKbpgzSnf1DQF9iFy1~bRbxsjetzuziuGXcTAMuh8BhhWqMvRzb0jsMEz~zcWefiV7R7HeviDUdbadGYKBsWOxNxarvoO~LSTKM59vI1IXj0-C~yY32OPF8wFyEssVitt1-81qpUsWv8OguDqx6JEBmQuoZtD-leGlmtenCSchl6wQIEviNUeu6RCXEEQguBv-3IHFjHlGoUeJXLXTqc7NECBUWqmJfTlXAxxYxJS9yJfB-nzXwsFRgQ2n8gHNgnZcCQshznL3C2oe3S4tMvzb6SHoVSeQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eric Scorsone, executive director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, presented preliminary modeling for the committee showing economic and revenue scenarios tied to federal civilian employment reductions.

Scorsone said his center estimated that a 10% reduction in federal workforce could translate to roughly a 40,000 net job loss in Virginia and an initial estimate of about $250 million in lost state tax revenue. He added that a 10% reduction in the federal civilian workforce would be associated with about a $6 billion decline in state output in the center's early runs.

Scorsone cautioned that these forecasts are preliminary and rely on multiple macroeconomic assumptions; his team is producing quarterly forecasts and planned an April update to incorporate more recent federal actions. He noted that analysis should factor in both employees who live in Virginia but work in DC or Maryland and the broader contractor and professional services sectors that depend on government contracting.

The center proposed delivering repeated scenario updates to the committee and working with state agencies to reconcile differing federal employment counts. Scorsone said the center could rapidly produce further runs if the committee and staff agreed on consistent scenarios (for example, 1%, 5% and 10% workforce reduction and an 8% DoD-specific scenario).","Eric Scorsone of UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center presented preliminary scenario modeling showing that a 10% reduction in federal civilian employment could erase about 40,000 net jobs and reduce state tax revenue by roughly $250 million; a 10% cut was also estimated to lower state GDP by about $6 billion in preliminary runs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Virginia Employment Commission says trust fund is solvent and agency is prepared for federal-related claims

Regional planners: Northern Virginia most exposed as roughly 315,000 Virginians work for federal government

State and local leaders: federal funding underpins core services; Medicaid and federal contracts dominate exposure

House of Delegates launches emergency panel to study federal workforce and funding cuts

Weldon Cooper: 10% federal workforce cut could cost Virginia about 40,000 jobs and $250 million in tax revenue