Virginia Layoffs — May 2012
Employers in Virginia filed 7 WARN Act notices in May 2012, impacting roughly 617 workers — representing a pullback from April and down 55% versus May 2011. The average filing covered 88 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 480 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 130 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 7 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 480 workers across 4 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 130 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk City | 1 | 221 |
| Newport News City | 2 | 210 |
| Bedford | 1 | 119 |
| Fredericksburg City | 1 | 50 |
| Greensville | 1 | 10 |
Norfolk City felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 36% of all affected workers with 221 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 1 | 221 |
| Fort Eustis | 1 | 130 |
| Bedford | 1 | 119 |
| Newport News | 1 | 80 |
| Fredericksburg | 1 | 50 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 470 |
| Layoff | 3 | 147 |
The high proportion of closures (76% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostess Brands | Norfolk | 221 | Closure | |
| Northrop Grumman | Fort Eustis | 130 | Layoff | |
| Golden West Foods | Bedford | 119 | Closure | |
| Daily Press | Newport News | 80 | Closure | |
| Sennett Security Products | Fredericksburg | 50 | Closure | |
| RG Steel | Emporia | 10 | Layoff | |
| Csc | Hampton | 7 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Hostess Brands at its Norfolk facility, reporting 221 affected workers. Northrop Grumman followed with 130 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a easing in workforce disruptions across Virginia, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. 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.