West Virginia Layoffs — August 2019
Employers in West Virginia submitted 4 WARN Act notices in August 2019, putting at risk an estimated 791 workers and up 86% versus August 2018. The average filing covered 198 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 1 | 736 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 55 |
The Healthcare sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 736 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Manufacturing reported 55 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 1 | 736 |
| Greenbrier | 2 | 48 |
| Jefferson | 1 | 7 |
Ohio absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 93% of all affected workers with 736 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | 1 | 736 |
| Lewisburg | 2 | 48 |
| Kearneysville | 1 | 7 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 791 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in West Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Valley Medical Center | Wheeling | 736 | Closure | |
| Abb | Lewisburg | 45 | Closure | |
| Royal Vendors | Kearneysville | 7 | Closure | |
| Abb | Lewisburg | 3 | Closure |
Topping the list was Ohio Valley Medical Center at its Wheeling facility, reporting 736 affected workers. Abb followed with 45 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the West Virginia labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Healthcare 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.