West Virginia Layoffs — May 2016
Employers in West Virginia reported 6 WARN Act notices in May 2016, displacing an estimated 266 workers — signaling an acceleration from April. The average filing covered 44 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 1 | 101 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 78 |
| Mining & Energy | 3 | 72 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 15 |
The Agriculture sector topped the list of affected industries with 101 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Wholesale Trade reported 78 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mingo | 4 | 126 |
| Kanawha | 1 | 78 |
| Lewis | 1 | 62 |
Mingo bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 47% of all affected workers with 126 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Naugatuck | 4 | 126 |
| Belle | 1 | 78 |
| Jane Lew | 1 | 62 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 140 |
| Closure | 4 | 126 |
Closures accounted for 47% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc. Twin Branch Mine | Naugatuck | 101 | Closure | |
| Cecil I. Walker Machinery | Belle | 78 | Layoff | |
| C & J Well Services | Jane Lew | 62 | Layoff | |
| CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc. Minway Preparation Plant | Naugatuck | 15 | Closure | |
| CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc. Miller Creek Administration Group | Naugatuck | 9 | Closure | |
| CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc. Wiley Surface Mine | Naugatuck | 1 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc. Twin Branch Mine at its Naugatuck facility, reporting 101 affected workers. Cecil I. Walker Machinery followed with 78 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the West Virginia labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Agriculture sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by West 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 West Virginia WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.