Va. reports close to 300 layoffs across 3 bizs

A Fortune 500 federal contractor, a global aluminum company and a private school notified Virginia on March 31 of job cuts in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

Leidos, which has its headquarters in Reston and provides technology, engineering and science services to defense, intelligence, civil and health customers, will lay off 29 employees who work in Alexandria and Manassas next month. The company has a global workforce of 48,000.

“Due to program changes, we unfortunately are eliminating some positions in Virginia,” Leidos said in a statement. “Our intent is to reassign as many of our colleagues as possible to open positions we have in the state or in Maryland and Washington, D.C.”

Leidos’ 2024 revenue was $16.7 billion, a 7.9% increase over the previous year.

Another company, Novelis, a producer of flat-rolled aluminum and an aluminum recycler with headquarters in Georgia, plans to close its Richmond-area location on May 30, eliminating 72 jobs, according to a WARN notice.

“Novelis is consolidating its U.S. operations and has made the difficult decision to close operations in Richmond, Virginia,” the company said in a statement. “Our workforce is deeply valued for their hard work and dedication, and we’re committed to handling their transition with the utmost respect and care.”

The facility, based in Chesterfield County, is a rolling mill that uses pellet casting technology to produce aluminum rolled sheet for the building and construction industry, according to the company’s website.

Earlier this week, Novelis informed West Virginia officials the company plans to close its Fairmont facility on June 30 , eliminating 189 jobs.  A company spokesperson noted on Wednesday, however, that over 300 jobs are being created by Novelis in North America this year. 

“We are working with affected employees to pursue job opportunities elsewhere within Novelis operations where it makes sense,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. 

In an annual report released in June 2024, Novelis reported having 13,190 employees and operating 32 rolling and recycling facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. Novelis’ net sales decreased 12% to $16.2 billion in fiscal 2024.

The third WARN notice issued in Virginia on March 31 was from King Abdullah Academy, a private school in Herndon. It plans to close at the end of July, eliminating 162 jobs. An Islamic private school, the academy announced its closure at the end of January.

“This decision to close the academy has not been taken lightly,” a letter posted on the school’s website stated. “It was taken after a comprehensive financial evaluation found this institution fulfilling its mandate, but with no viable financial path to self-sustainability.”

Nonfarm payroll employment in Virginia fell by 1,000 in February, and the state’s labor force participation rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points, according to a news release distributed by the governor’s office Friday. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February edged up by 0.1 percentage points to 3.1%, 1 percentage point below the national rate.

“Virginia’s economy remains strong with more than $100 billion in capital investment committed by companies growing in Virginia, 259,000 open jobs across the commonwealth and our ongoing workforce development initiatives connecting skilled workers to in-demand industries,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement.