West Virginia Layoffs — May 2023
Employers in West Virginia reported 3 WARN Act notices in May 2023, displacing an estimated 575 workers — signaling an acceleration from April. The average filing covered 192 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 300 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 271 |
| Transportation | 1 | 4 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 300 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Mining & Energy reported 271 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hancock | 1 | 300 |
| Randolph | 2 | 275 |
Hancock felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 52% of all affected workers with 300 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Weirton | 1 | 300 |
| Mill Creek | 2 | 275 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 1 | 300 |
| Closure | 2 | 275 |
Closures accounted for 48% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland-Cliffs | Weirton | 300 | Layoff | |
| Carter Roag Coal | Mill Creek | 271 | Closure | |
| Beech Mountain Railroad | Mill Creek | 4 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Cleveland-Cliffs at its Weirton facility, reporting 300 affected workers. Carter Roag Coal followed with 271 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the West Virginia labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing 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.