Virginia Officials Are Bracing For an Exodus As Federal Employees Lose Their Jobs

Officials in Virginia are expecting wide reaching consequences from the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce and trying to understand the economic impact.

Jennifer McClellan

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP

Virginia officials are preparing for the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal government to radically reshape their state — including by losing residents.

The state is used to having the federal government as a reliable major employer — it is home to one of the highest concentrations of federal employees due to its proximity to Washington. Already it is seeing changes to its politics around the job losses. And members of both parties are bracing for the unemployment to reshuffle a lot more.

“I’m worried about these workers leaving, and the ripple effect that’s going to have on the rest of our workforce and the rest of our economy,” Rep. Jennifer McClellan told NOTUS.