Data to inform employer decisions, education pathways and regional workforce strategy
The Southern Virginia Living Wage and Job Availability Study provides a current view of wages, openings and talent dynamics across GO Virginia Region 3 (a 15-locality footprint). Commissioned by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and produced by Chmura Economics & Analytics, the report helps employers, educators, workforce boards and policymakers benchmark pay, plan programs and target investments.
At a glance
According to the study, the average living wage for the region is $14.56 per hour, which is $2.15 higher than the minimum wage in Virginia. While all available jobs can support single adults and two-adult households without children, the report highlights challenges for families with multiple children, where fewer positions meet living wage standards.
- Average regional living wage: $14.56/hour
- Openings snapshot (Q1 2025): 15,383 jobs posted across Region 3
- Top sector by openings: Healthcare and social assistance — more than one third of postings
“The Living Wage and Job Availability Study provides a practical roadmap for employers, educators and policymakers as we realize Southern Virginia as a region where all can live and thrive.”
– Jessie Vernon, Director of Employer Engagement and Experiential Learning, IALR
| Family type | Living wage (hourly) | Annual cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| One adult | $11.82/hour | $24,582/year |
| One adult, one child | $18.72/hour | $38,947/year |
| One adult, three children | $32.10/hour | $66,768/year |
| Two adults, three children (both working) | $18.86/hour | $78,445/year |
| Sector | Share of openings | Approx. number of openings |
|---|---|---|
| Health care & social assistance | 35.8% | 5,514 |
| Retail trade | 12.4% | 1,912 |
| Accommodation & food services | 8.1% | 1,242 |
| Educational services | 7.6% | 1,165 |
| Construction | 7.0% | 1,071 |
| Manufacturing | 5.9% | 910 |
Insights from our staff experts
Telly Tucker: Why This Study Matters
“Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community.”
Jessie Vernon: What Changed Since 2017
“The region has seen a drastic improvement in the availability of living‑wage jobs.”
Angela Brown: Connecting Students to Careers with GO TEC
“GO TEC is not a standalone experience, but the first step in a pipeline that leads to in‑demand jobs offering stability and, in many cases, a living wage.”
Dr. Melanie Lewis: Meeting Healthcare Workforce Needs
"This report highlights something our healthcare partners know all too well: the demand for healthcare workers in Southern Virginia is outpacing supply.”
Jason Wells: Making Sense of the Manufacturing Workforce Data
"Are we long on manufacturing talent or short on it? As is often the case in workforce development, the truth lives in the tension between the two."
Job availability — where demand is strongest
The study analyzes real‑time postings, wages and education requirements, and compares openings with available workers to identify shortages and surpluses.
Quick Job facts
- Education signal: about 60.5% of openings do not require post‑secondary education
- Labor tightness: roughly 900 more openings than available workers overall; filtering for jobs at or above the living wage shows a worker surplus of ~584
Living wages — what families need to cover basics
Living wage thresholds vary by family type and locality. The study converts annual budgets to hourly rates to illustrate what different households need to meet essential expenses.
Quick Wage facts
- Regional average living wage: $14.56/hour — about $2.15 above the baseline minimum used in the study
- Share of jobs meeting a living wage: ~100% for single adults and two adults without children, ~64% for two adults with three children, ~30% for one adult with three children
Methodology and about the study — how the numbers were built
Chmura Economics & Analytics produced the analysis using local prices, consumer spending patterns and labor market data. Living wage calculations model multiple family types and account for essentials like housing, transportation, food, health insurance and taxes.
Job availability reflects real‑time postings coded by industry, occupation, education and wage bands, with a five‑year forecast that projects demand by sector and skill.
How to read the results
- Postings indicate demand but do not equal hires — some postings represent multiple vacancies
- Shortages and surpluses vary by wage band and occupation — the region can be tight overall yet show surpluses at or above living‑wage levels in some fields
- Local variation matters — wage needs and job mix differ across counties and cities in Region 3
