West Virginia Layoffs — October 2016
Employers in West Virginia logged 5 WARN Act notices in October 2016, involving roughly 245 workers and down 93% versus October 2015. The average filing covered 49 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mining & Energy | 2 | 149 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 79 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 17 |
The Mining & Energy sector dominated layoff filings with 149 workers across 2 notices. Meanwhile, Healthcare reported 79 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Webster | 2 | 149 |
| Wood | 1 | 79 |
| Hancock | 2 | 17 |
Webster felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 61% of all affected workers with 149 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cowen | 2 | 149 |
| Walker | 1 | 79 |
| Weirton | 2 | 17 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 149 |
| Closure | 3 | 96 |
Closures accounted for 39% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arch Coal Eastern Complex | Cowen | 140 | Layoff | |
| Pressley Ridge White Oak Facility | Walker | 79 | Closure | |
| Ball & Aerosol Packaging Weirton Plant | Weirton | 15 | Closure | |
| Arch Coal Eastern Complex | Cowen | 9 | Layoff | |
| Ball & Aerosol Packaging Weirton Plant | Weirton | 2 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Arch Coal Eastern Complex at its Cowen facility, reporting 140 affected workers. Pressley Ridge White Oak Facility followed with 79 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for West Virginia's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Mining & Energy 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.