Virginia Layoffs — March 2015
Employers in Virginia filed 6 WARN Act notices in March 2015, impacting roughly 1,086 workers — representing a notable rise over February and down 11% versus March 2014. The average filing covered 181 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 2 | 490 |
| Education | 1 | 344 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 90 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 62 |
The Transportation sector led the way in workforce reductions with 490 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Education reported 344 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Botetourt | 1 | 426 |
| Amherst | 1 | 344 |
| Chesterfield | 2 | 154 |
| Fairfax | 1 | 100 |
| Norton City | 1 | 62 |
Botetourt was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 39% of all affected workers with 426 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | 1 | 426 |
| Sweet Briar | 1 | 344 |
| Richmond | 2 | 154 |
| Springfield | 1 | 100 |
| Norton | 1 | 62 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 922 |
| Layoff | 2 | 164 |
The high proportion of closures (85% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Southern Corporation-NS | Roanoke | 426 | Closure | |
| Sweet Briar College | Sweet Briar | 344 | Closure | |
| Parsons | Springfield | 100 | Layoff | |
| Riverside Pace | Richmond | 90 | Closure | |
| United | Richmond | 64 | Layoff | |
| AT&T | Norton | 62 | Closure |
The single largest action involved Norfolk Southern Corporation-NS at its Roanoke facility, reporting 426 affected workers. Sweet Briar College followed with 344 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Virginia's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Transportation 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.