Virginia Layoffs — March 2021
Employers in Virginia logged 4 WARN Act notices in March 2021, involving roughly 470 workers — climbing above February and down 97% versus March 2020. The average filing covered 118 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 470 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 470 workers across 4 notices.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 1 | 180 |
| Patrick | 1 | 146 |
| Suffolk City | 1 | 76 |
| Henrico | 1 | 68 |
Arlington bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 180 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 1 | 180 |
| Stuart | 1 | 146 |
| Suffolk | 1 | 76 |
| Sandston | 1 | 68 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 290 |
The high proportion of closures (62% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Virginia's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dynamics | Arlington | 180 | ||
| Hanesbrand | Stuart | 146 | Closure | |
| The J.M. Smuckers | Suffolk | 76 | Closure | |
| Southeast Frozen Foods | Sandston | 68 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at General Dynamics at its Arlington facility, reporting 180 affected workers. Hanesbrand followed with 146 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to 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.