Jen Kiggans: Virginia Was One Of The States Most Affected By Job Losses From Trump’s DOGE Cuts Including A DOGE-Canceled Flood Zone Project In Hampton Roads

Virginia Was Among The States Most Affected By Job Losses From Trump’s Cuts

Headline: “Va. Among States Most Affected By Job Losses From Trump’s Cuts, Housing And Spending Slowdowns.” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Virginia Mercury: “Virginia […] [Might] Be Among The States Most Affected By The Hiring Slowdown That Enraged President Donald Trump When It Appeared In An Aug. 1 Jobs Report Showing The United States Had 258,000 Fewer Jobs Than Initially Reported In May And June.” “Virginia and New Jersey may be among the states most affected by the hiring slowdown that enraged President Donald Trump when it appeared in an Aug. 1 jobs report showing the United States had 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported in May and June. Such revisions to earlier reports are based on more up-to-date payroll data and are routine. But the scale in this case was shocking — showing the smallest monthly job gains since pandemic-era December 2020 and the largest jobs revision, outside recessions, since 1968.” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Virginia Mercury: “The Numbers Demonstrate The Real Effects Of Trump’s Work Slashing The Federal Government.” “Virginia and New Jersey may be among the states most affected by the hiring slowdown that enraged President Donald Trump when it appeared in an Aug. 1 jobs report showing the United States had 258,000 fewer jobs than initially reported in May and June. Such revisions to earlier reports are based on more up-to-date payroll data and are routine. But the scale in this case was shocking — showing the smallest monthly job gains since pandemic-era December 2020 and the largest jobs revision, outside recessions, since 1968. […] Beyond those attention-grabbing actions, though, the numbers demonstrate the real effects of Trump’s work slashing the federal government.” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

In Virginia, Job Losses Were Due To DOGE-Canceled Federal Projects In North Virginia And DOGE-Canceled Flooding Control Contracts On Virginia’s Coast. “A Stateline analysis of the data shows how several states, especially Virginia and New Jersey, shed jobs in the second quarter of this year, which includes May and June. In Virginia, there were job losses blamed on canceled federal contracts in Northern Virginia as part of cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Meanwhile, a slow housing market shuttered a plywood factory in the southern part of the state, and DOGE efforts canceled flooding control contracts on the coast.” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager: Cuts From DOGE Caused A Spike In Unemployment Claims

In June 2025, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford Told A State Legislative Committee That $50 Million In Contracts Were Slashed In The Hampton Roads Area, Causing A Spike In Unemployment Claims. “In Virginia, there were job losses blamed on canceled federal contracts in Northern Virginia as part of cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Meanwhile, a slow housing market shuttered a plywood factory in the southern part of the state, and DOGE efforts canceled flooding control contracts on the coast. […] Jay Ford, Virginia policy manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told a state legislative committee in June that $50 million in contracts were slashed in the Hampton Roads area near the coast, causing a spike in unemployment claims. That included $20 million to address flooding in Hampton, where almost a quarter of homes are in flood zones, and $24 million to repair a Portsmouth dam that could fail in a major storm, he said. ‘This is work that you desperately needed,’ Ford said at the committee hearing. ‘There was a real focus on certain buzzwords like ‘climate’ or ‘resilience,’ and I think people conflated some of these projects as somehow unnecessary.’” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Ford: The $50 Million In Contracts Slashed Included $20 Million To Address Flooding In Hampton,

Where Nearly A Quarter Of Homes Were In Flood Zones, And $24 Million To Repair A Portsmouth Dam That Could Fail In A Major Storm. “In Virginia, there were job losses blamed on canceled federal contracts in Northern Virginia as part of cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Meanwhile, a slow housing market shuttered a plywood factory in the southern part of the state, and DOGE efforts canceled flooding control contracts on the coast. […] Jay Ford, Virginia policy manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told a state legislative committee in June that $50 million in contracts were slashed in the Hampton Roads area near the coast, causing a spike in unemployment claims. That included $20 million to address flooding in Hampton, where almost a quarter of homes are in flood zones, and $24 million to repair a Portsmouth dam that could fail in a major storm, he said. ‘This is work that you desperately needed,’ Ford said at the committee hearing. ‘There was a real focus on certain buzzwords like ‘climate’ or ‘resilience,’ and I think people conflated some of these projects as somehow unnecessary.’” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Ford: “This Is Work That You Desperately Needed. There Was a Real Focus On Certain Buzzwords Like ‘Climate’ Or ‘Resilience,’ And I Think People Conflated Some Of These Projects As Somehow Unnecessary.” “In Virginia, there were job losses blamed on canceled federal contracts in Northern Virginia as part of cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. Meanwhile, a slow housing market shuttered a plywood factory in the southern part of the state, and DOGE efforts canceled flooding control contracts on the coast. […] Jay Ford, Virginia policy manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told a state legislative committee in June that $50 million in contracts were slashed in the Hampton Roads area near the coast, causing a spike in unemployment claims. That included $20 million to address flooding in Hampton, where almost a quarter of homes are in flood zones, and $24 million to repair a Portsmouth dam that could fail in a major storm, he said. ‘This is work that you desperately needed,’ Ford said at the committee hearing. ‘There was a real focus on certain buzzwords like ‘climate’ or ‘resilience,’ and I think people conflated some of these projects as somehow unnecessary.’” [Virginia Mercury, 9/1/25]

Reuters: “DOGE Impact” Was The Leading Reason For Job Cuts In 2025

Reuters: “’DOGE Impact’ Was The Leading Reason For Job Cuts In 2025.” “U.S.-based employers cut more than 150,000 jobs in October, marking the biggest reduction for the month in more than 20 years, a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas said on Thursday as industries adopt AI-driven changes and intensify cost cuts. […] Cost-cutting was the top reason for the layoffs in October, followed by artificial intelligence, while ‘DOGE Impact’ was the leading reason for job cuts in 2025.” [Reuters, 11/6/25]

Reuters Headline: “US Layoffs For October Surge To Two-Decade High, Challenger Data Shows.” [Reuters, 11/6/25]

Source report (PDF)