Layoffs announced by U.S. agencies have surged to levels not seen since the last two recessions — coinciding with significant cuts in federal government jobs.
As government layoffs continue, federal workers are forced to think about what's next. News 3's Kelsey Jones caught up with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to see what they were doing to assist. They say they have helped around 100 federal workers, primarily from the Department of Defense.
Workforce leaders do expect that number to rise in the upcoming weeks.
Watch related coverage: Job help for local veterans expands reach in wake of Defense Department layoffs
"Layoffs are always hard on a family and on the individual that it's happening to. For it to happen quickly that's tough" said Shawn Avery, Hampton Roads Workforce Council President and CEO.
The Trump administration is back and forth on further cuts to the federal government, which were already seeing an impact on workers here in Hampton roads. There's about 60,000 federal workers that live in the region, not to mention, our significant population of service members.
Hampton Roads Workforce Council leaders say around 100 layoffs has happened for defense workers, with families reaching out for resources in the past weeks. This has led workforce leaders to expand their efforts, including virtual options to help them.
Watch related coverage: Hampton VA Medical Center confirms employees let go as Trump admin makes cuts
Avery says there's about 50,000 job openings in our area, and they are working to line families up with the best job that fits their skill set.
"We have a whole team that can work on resumes and can help them with job interview preparation. Our whole team will do that, that's really the resources we provide on the regular basis for anybody in Hampton Roads that's interested in a new job," Avery said. "Our Virginia Career Works centers, or our Veteran Employment Centers, can get them prepared as they go in for that next career opportunity."
Some of those job openings were in the shipbuilding, health care and information technology sectors. If you’d like to get more information about the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the resources available, click here.
