Virginia Layoffs — September 2015
Employers in Virginia filed 3 WARN Act notices in September 2015, impacting roughly 2,294 workers — representing a notable rise over August and up 762% versus September 2014. The average filing covered 765 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 1,512 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 527 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 255 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 1,512 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Mining & Energy reported 527 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk City | 1 | 1,512 |
| Dickenson | 1 | 527 |
| Chesapeake City | 1 | 255 |
Norfolk City felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 66% of all affected workers with 1,512 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 1 | 1,512 |
| Clintwood | 1 | 527 |
| Chesapeake | 1 | 255 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 1 | 1,512 |
| Closure | 2 | 782 |
Closures accounted for 34% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAE Systems | Norfolk | 1,512 | Layoff | |
| Alpha Natural Resources | Clintwood | 527 | Closure | |
| Home Retention Services | Chesapeake | 255 | Closure |
The single largest action involved BAE Systems at its Norfolk facility, reporting 1,512 affected workers. Alpha Natural Resources followed with 527 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the Virginia labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing 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.