Virginia Layoffs — May 2020
Employers in Virginia submitted 15 WARN Act notices in May 2020, putting at risk an estimated 1,667 workers — down from April and up 355% versus May 2019. The average filing covered 111 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 696 |
| Accommodation & Food | 5 | 451 |
| Retail | 1 | 189 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 159 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 132 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 40 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 696 workers across 4 notices. Separately, Accommodation & Food reported 451 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield | 2 | 373 |
| Arlington | 4 | 359 |
| Chesapeake City | 1 | 308 |
| Alexandria City | 1 | 177 |
| Fredericksburg City | 1 | 149 |
Chesterfield was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 22% of all affected workers with 373 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 2 | 373 |
| Arlington | 4 | 359 |
| Chesapeake | 1 | 308 |
| Alexandria | 1 | 177 |
| Fredericksburg | 1 | 149 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 929 |
| Layoff | 10 | 738 |
The high proportion of closures (56% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutterfly | Chesapeake | 308 | Closure | |
| Nordstrom | Richmond | 189 | Closure | |
| Cenveo | Richmond | 184 | Closure | |
| Hilton Alexandria Mark Center | Alexandria | 177 | Layoff | |
| Cox Automotive | Fredericksburg | 149 | Layoff | |
| The Virginian~Pilot Media Companies | Virginia Beach | 131 | Closure | |
| Medical Faculty Associates | Arlington | 117 | Closure | |
| Sheraton Pentagon City | Arlington | 100 | Layoff | |
| Hilton Arlington & Towers Hotel | Arlington | 98 | Layoff | |
| Cox Automotive | Harrisonburg | 55 | Layoff | |
| Le Meridien Arlington | Arlington | 44 | Layoff | |
| Embassy Suites Tysons Corner (Merritt Hospitality LLC) | Vienna | 42 | Layoff | |
| Amentum | Chantilly | 40 | Layoff | |
| The Westin - Reston Heights | Reston | 32 | Layoff | |
| Cerner | Reston | 1 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Shutterfly at its Chesapeake facility, reporting 308 affected workers. Nordstrom followed with 189 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for Virginia's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. 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.