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Hampton Roads economist warns region lost thousands of jobs; Surry County shows smaller employment decline
Summary
A Hampton Roads Planning District Commission economist told the Surry County board that federal spending cuts contributed to regional job losses — about 4,000 jobs since early 2025 — and that Surry County's labor market shows a smaller decline but indicators (unemployment up ~0.5 percentage points) warrant monitoring.
Nikki Johnson, regional economist with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, briefed the Surry County Board of Supervisors on the 2026 regional economic outlook, citing a combination of federal cuts, sectoral shifts and housing market dynamics.
Johnson said the national economy remained resilient while Hampton Roads experienced outsized job losses after federal civilian employment cuts. "Hampton Roads lost about 4,000 jobs since the start of 2025," she said, and noted the region's heavy reliance on the federal civilian workforce. She also reported that in Surry County federal employment represents about 6% of full‑time resident jobs and that the county had roughly 100 fewer people employed in February 2026 compared with January 2025.
The presentation covered GDP, inflation and housing: Johnson said inflation‑adjusted GDP rose about 2.1% in 2025 and that rising energy prices and trade uncertainty posed downside risks. She urged continued regional collaboration to support workforce and infrastructure development.
