Several local companies are among the 15 tech employers listed for an upcoming virtual job hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

The fair is targeted to mid-career tech professionals, especially ones with security clearances, and the companies represented will have a total of 3,000 open jobs in the Northern Virginia region, according to FCEDA.

“While the fair is primarily for those in tech fields including data science, software engineering, IT, cybersecurity, defense and aerospace, some companies are featuring non-tech positions such as marketing, sales, finance, human resources and legal,” according to FCEDA.

Companies signed up for the fair include:

• Microsoft, Reston
• Amazon Web Services, Arlington
• AppGuard Inc., Chantilly
• CGI, Fairfax
• Customer Value Partners, Fairfax
• Expedition Technology, Herndon
• EntropyZero Consulting, Reston
• FireEye, Reston
• Ipsun Solar, Fairfax
• General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church
• ManTech International, Herndon
• MicroHealth, Tysons
• NTT Data Federal, Tysons
• Serco Inc., Herndon
• SOSi, Reston

Previously, FCEDA hosted a virtual career fair for recent college graduates.

“Every job represents a household, so when we connect people — whether newly minted graduates or those midway through a career — to thousands of open jobs, we are really improving lives, saving households and communities,” Victor Hoskins, FCEDA’s president and CEO, said in a press release.

People will be able to browse companies in a virtual lobby before entering “virtual booths” to view open positions and video conference with recruiters.

The job fair will be hosted on Tuesday, July 14, from 1-4 p.m. People can register online.

After a surge of new jobless claims seeking unemployment benefits in April, Fairfax County is seeing a steady decline in initial unemployment claims.

Roughly 5,300 initial unemployment claims were filed in the county for the week of May 16 — a drop from 7,000 during the week of May 2, according to the latest data from the Virginia Employment Commission.

Meanwhile, continued unemployment claims — now at 47,000 for the week of May 16 — are rising less quickly in the county.

The county’s unemployment trends mirror statewide data.

More from the VEC:

For the filing week ending May 16, the figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 44,699. The latest claims figure was a decrease of 7,440 claimants from the previous week. The weekly total was the lowest since before the initial spike in unemployment insurance claims during the March 21 filing week.

For the most recent filing week, continued weeks claimed totaled 403,557, up 2.8% from the previous week and 385,380 higher than the 18,177 continued claims from the comparable week last year.

The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus far, continued claims during the May 16 filing equaled 56% of all initial claims filed during the pandemic. This percentage was a significant drop-off from the previous week.

VEC’s preliminary data indicate that the pandemic has hurt the accommodation and food service industry the most.

Workers in that industry “continued to see the greatest percentage of continued claims for unemployment benefits” for the May 16 filing week, VEC said. “Moreover, claimants in that industry comprised over a quarter of pre-pandemic payroll employment.”

Data and image via Virginia Employment Commission

Unemployment claims due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic continue to pour in.

Nearly 14,500 Fairfax County residents filed unemployment claims on the week of April 11, according to the latest unemployment data.

Overall, the number of statewide claims between March 21 and April 11 — 410,762 — is only 67,000 fewer than the average of all initial claims filed during the last three economic recessions, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. More than 121,000 Northern Virginia residents have filed claims since business closures began.

The latest claims figure, however, represents a decrease of 42,750 statewide claims and 6,848 countywide claims from the previous week, according to data from the commission.

The commission noted that the overall 29 percent decrease in the number of claims suggests that most people filed unemployment claims during the week of April 4.

Here’s more from the commission:

Initial claims measure emerging unemployment and the recent increase in initial claims in the Commonwealth is clearly attributable to impacts from the COVID-19 virus. The accommodation and food service industries have comprised the majority of these initial claims. Because of their prevalence in those and other affected industries like retail and health care, younger workers and female workers have been disproportionally impacted. The number of initial claims filed during the week ending April 11, 2020 was 45.6 times higher than the comparable 2019 week–an increase of 102,326 claims.

Despite a dip in the number of claims, the commission noted that claims still remain at historically high levels.

On the national level, the number of initial claims has totaled roughly 5.2 million, a decrease of 1.4 million from the previous week. During a comparable week in 2019, only 196,364 claims were filed countrywide.

Lily Siegel, the Greater Reston Arts Center‘s executive director and curator, has resigned effective mid-February as the institution explores rebranding and repositioning itself in the community.

Siegel will become the next executive director for Hamiltonian Artists in the District as its fellowship program and exhibit transitions into a nonprofit organization.

In a Jan. 13 letter, GRACE’s Board of Directors credited Siegel for leaving the center in “a much stronger position than we were in when Lily arrived three years ago.”

As difficult as it is to lose someone of Lily’s great capability and vision, that challenge presents opportunity. We look forward to announcing in the near future the hire of a new Executive Director and Curator who we are confident, given our achievements and repositioning, will also be someone of world-class caliber capable of taking us to the next level of accomplishment and distinction.

In the meantime, we will not miss a beat. As so many of you know, we have a very experienced and highly capable team of whom we are proud (Erica Harrison, Elizabeth Denholm, Sofia Blom, and Sarah Berenz), each of whom is already stepping up to ensure we stay right on track.

The leadership that Lily has provided this institution is something for which we are all grateful and celebrate, and every one of us wishes Lily all the best for what we know will be continued success in her career.

Siegel — who looks forward to changing jobs to a location where she lives — told Reston Now she’s proud of all her accomplishments over the last three years.

“I’m so proud of everything that I’ve done here and all that our team has accomplished,” she said, adding that she looks forward to continuing to support and work with artists in the community in her new role.

As executive director, Siegel helped bring on more main gallery exhibitions with established, nationally, and internationally recognized artists.

In addition to strengthening partnerships with area organizations, also helped establish GRACE’s satellite gallery at Signature in Reston Town Center, support Sue Wrbican’s new sculpture in Town Square Park in RTC, run the summer art camp with Reston Association, and add Festival Friday to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

GRACE is accepting applications for Siegel’s position online.

Photo via GRACE

Job site Monster’s list of the 2019 best places for veterans to work includes several Reston-based companies.

Ahead of Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11), Monster and Military.com ranked 10 companies in the United States as the best companies for veterans.

Intelligent Waves, a veteran-founded company that specializes IT and communications support, ranked second on the lost. This year, half of its hires were veterans and 44 percent of its total workforce are veterans. judges noted the company “focuses on placing veteran hires on the right job where they can be successful at building a civilian career.”

Cybersecurity and IT enterprise solutions company PRISM came in sixth on the list. Roughly 25 percent of its total workforce are veterans. The company was recognized for offering a veteran-focused performance management program.

A Tysons-based company, DynCorp International, topped the list. Roughly 60 percent of all employees are veterans.

The list was created with the help fo veteran-hiring experts who selected employers that demonstrated an “extraordinary commitment to veteran-hiring and retention,” according to a press release.

File photo

The Best State for Business — CNBC ranked Virginia as the best state for business in the country. The Old Dominion’s success comes from the military as well the demographic of the best workforce in the country, according to CNBC’s Scott Cohn. [CNBC]

A Roundup of New State Laws — The county offers a round-up of several new laws that went into effect on July 1, including new rules on handheld cellphone use in work zones, the legal age for tobacco use, and rear-facing car seats. [Fairfax County Government]

Striking the Target — “Reston Hospital Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association‘s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.” [Reston Hospital Center]

Free Yoga for All — Enjoy free yoga with Beloved Yoga at Reston Station Plaza today from 6:30-7:30 p.m. [Reston Station]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Appian Corporation plans to relocate from its current headquarters at 11955 Democracy Drive to Tysons next month.

The cloud computing company will move into Gannett’s former headquarters at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive), bringing 600 jobs to Tysons.

“The 12.5-year lease for 200,000 square feet in the Jones Branch Drive building was officially signed April 17, complete with a press conference with Gov. Ralph Northam. The lease was a win for real estate group Tamares, which purchased the building from Gannett for $270 million in 2015,” the Washington Business Journal reported last week.

The county gave a $4 million grant to the company in December to help pay for the leasing, improvements, equipment and operation of Appian’s Tysons location.

Logo via Appian/Facebook

A new preschool on North Village Road is bringing 35 jobs to the Reston area.

Primrose Schools, a private preschool franchise, recently expanded its reach by opening at 1309 N. Village Road in January.

In addition to the nearly three dozen jobs, Rina Patel and Urvi and Beau Athia, the franchise owners, have invested more than $5.5 million in the local economy through building renovation costs, according to a press release.

“We’re thrilled to bring new life to this space in the Reston community and provide a much-needed service for parents in the area,” Athia said in the press release.

With 10 classrooms and a playground, the 10,000-square-foot offers early education and care to more than 150 children and their families, the press release says.  The new facility — the 16th for Virginia — is part of a franchise that has more than 400 schools in 29 states and is accredited through AdvancED.

The school will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday (April 6) from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Photo via Primrose Schools 

A new brunch and breakfast spot is set to open in RTC West in less than two weeks.

Famous Toastery announced on Facebook yesterday that the sit-down restaurant will open on Monday, April 15.

The restaurant is currently hiring. Its next job fairs at 12100 Sunset Hills Road, R6 are scheduled for:

• Today (April 2): 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Thursday (April 4): 4-8 p.m.
• Saturday (April 6): noon-4 p.m.

The restaurant will join RTC West’s growing food scene, which includes Honeygrow, Mezeh Mediterranean Grill and BGR The Burger Joint. Fine-dining, Indian restaurant Bombay Velvet is also set to open soon at RTC West.

The end of the school year is approaching, which means that many students are thinking ahead about summer jobs.

South Lakes High School will host a job fair for teens on Thursday (March 28) to help connect students to potential employers.

The fair is set to take place in the main corridor outside of the cafeteria during the school’s four lunch sessions, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.

Reston-area employers will set up tables to offer applications and answer students’ questions about part-time employment.

Employers that have signed up already include:

• America Inline
• Autobell Car Wash
• Brightview Senior Center
• Cascade Beverage
• Chick-Fil-A
• Continental Pools
• Einstein Bros
• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue
• Fairfax County Park Authority
• Fairfax County Democrats
• Glory Days Grill
• Goldfish Swim School
• Guardian Aquatics
• Herndon Parks and Rec
• High Sierra Pools
• Jay Vending
• Metropolitan Washington Airports
• Reston Association Aquatics
• Reston Association Camps
• Reston Association Member Services
• Nando’s Peri Peri
• NVPools
• Roer’s Zoofari
• Sunset Pool Management
• Town of Vienna
• Winkler Pools
• YMCA Reston

Some of the employers are looking to hire teachers during the summer, according to FCPS.

File photo

Herndon-based tech company Serco Inc. announced on Friday (March 8) that it would hire 200 new employees to support a new program.

Serco said in a press release that it was awarded a contract to provide field office support services to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a federal agency that protects the retirement incomes of workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans.

The new jobs will help Serco manage records and documents, conduct data analysis, build databases, provide customer service and more for the PBGC field offices.

Serco Inc., a subsidy of Serco Group PLC, provides technology and management services by advising, designing, integrating and delivering solutions to clients. The Herndon-headquartered company has roughly 6,000 employees, according to its website.

Image via Google Maps

A senior living community at Hunters Woods will kick off next week the first of three job fairs for 200 jobs ahead of its opening this year.

Currently under construction near the Hunters Woods Village Center, Hunters Woods at Trails Edge (2222 Colts Neck Road) is on track for its spring opening, Reston Now previously reported.

The IntegraCare facility will have 210 senior-living units — including 91 independent living units, 80 for assisted living, 24 for memory care and 15 for special needs. A temporary office and showroom opened last year at the Hunters Woods Shopping Center (2254B Colts Neck Road) to provide more information.

The jobs range from working with the hospitality to maintenance teams, according to a press release.

Positions are open in the following fields:

• Resident Wellness: LPN supervisor, medication associate, resident wellness associate
• Dining Experience: chef, associate, server, porter
• Hospitality: lead associate, associate, executive associate, laundry associate
• LifeStages (Activities): life styles associate, transportation associate
• Maintenance: painting and maintenance associate, safety and maintenance associate

The job fairs will take place:

• Tuesday, Feb. 26: 1-6:30 p.m. at the showroom
• Thursday, March 7: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the NOVA Medical Education Campus in Springfield
• Saturday, March 16: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the showroom

The retirement community will include multiple dining venues, resident gardens, several fitness centers, a juried art gallery and a movie theater, according to the press release.

Rendering by Moseley Architects

Restaurant Week starts today — Four restaurants in Reston will be serving up dishes for Winter Restaurant Week, which runs from today until Sunday (Jan. 20). [Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington]

Walmart is increasing tech jobs — In a battle with Amazon’s market share, the retailer announced it will add 2,000 tech hires this year. The expansion is likely to affect the Sunnyvale, Calif. and Reston offices. [Fortune]

Snow, snow, snow — Fairfax County Public Schools are closed today. ICYMI: Reston Now had weekend coverage of the snowiest D.C. area storm since 2016.  [Reston Now]

Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store will bring about 140 new jobs when it arrives in the Herndon Centre later this year as part of a broader expansion.

The grocer announced today (Jan. 8) that it will open approximately 30 stores this year. Nine of those stores are set to open in the second quarter of 2019, including the one at 494 Elden Street.

With each new store, the grocer expects to bring 140 new jobs to each location, according to the press release.

Reston Now previously reported in September that the natural and organic grocer would join part of the space vacated by Kmart.

Construction is currently underway as Florida-based real estate investment firm Sterling Organization divides the former big box store into several businesses, including LA Fitness, MOD Pizza and IHOP.

Started 16 years ago, Sprouts Farmers Market  currently operates more than 300 stores in 19 states.

Sprouts Farmers Market said that opening dates for each store will be shared separately.

Photo via Fatimah Waseem