Virginia Layoffs — March 2015
Employers in Virginia recorded 6 WARN Act notices in March 2015, covering approximately 1,086 workers — marking a sharp increase from 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 accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 490 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, 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 absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, 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 |
Leading the list was 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 filings reflect 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.