Virginia Layoffs — January 2014
Employers in Virginia posted 5 WARN Act notices in January 2014, affecting an estimated 439 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 29% versus January 2013. The average filing covered 88 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 3 | 265 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 95 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 79 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 265 workers across 3 notices. On a related front, Accommodation & Food reported 95 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk City | 1 | 115 |
| Lynchburg City | 1 | 98 |
| Arlington | 1 | 95 |
| Chesterfield | 1 | 79 |
| Galax City | 1 | 52 |
Norfolk City absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 26% of all affected workers with 115 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 1 | 115 |
| Lynchburg | 1 | 98 |
| Arlington | 1 | 95 |
| Richmond | 1 | 79 |
| Galax | 1 | 52 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 360 |
| Layoff | 1 | 79 |
The high proportion of closures (82% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JCPenney | Norfolk | 115 | Closure | |
| Kroger Food Stores | Lynchburg | 98 | Closure | |
| Sheraton Crystal City Hotel | Arlington | 95 | Closure | |
| Bank of America | Richmond | 79 | Layoff | |
| Kroger Food Stores | Galax | 52 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by JCPenney at its Norfolk facility, reporting 115 affected workers. Kroger Food Stores followed with 98 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Virginia's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Virginia. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Virginia WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.