Virginia Layoffs — January 2020
Employers in Virginia recorded 7 WARN Act notices in January 2020, covering approximately 2,346 workers — marking a sharp increase from December and up 214% versus January 2019. The average filing covered 335 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 1 | 1,141 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 572 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 384 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 160 |
| Retail | 1 | 54 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 35 |
The Transportation sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 1,141 workers across 1 notice. At the same time, Healthcare reported 572 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 3 | 1,253 |
| Chesterfield | 1 | 572 |
| Shenandoah | 1 | 384 |
| Virginia Beach City | 1 | 102 |
| Arlington | 1 | 35 |
Fairfax saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 53% of all affected workers with 1,253 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 1 | 1,141 |
| Richmond | 1 | 572 |
| Strasburg | 1 | 384 |
| Virginia Beach | 1 | 102 |
| Springfield | 1 | 58 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 5 | 1,908 |
| Closure | 2 | 438 |
Closures accounted for 19% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) | Alexandria | 1,141 | Layoff | |
| Aramark (at VCU Health Systems) | Richmond | 572 | Layoff | |
| LSC Communications | Strasburg | 384 | Closure | |
| Aecom | Virginia Beach | 102 | Layoff | |
| DynCorp International | Springfield | 58 | Layoff | |
| Shoppers Food & Pharmacy Store #2346 | Franconia | 54 | Closure | |
| Oakwood Worldwide | Arlington | 35 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) at its Alexandria facility, reporting 1,141 affected workers. Aramark (at VCU Health Systems) followed with 572 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the Virginia labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.