12 INVESTIGATES: Sequester job cuts in Virginia

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Workers across Virginia are not just bracing for furloughs because of those federal budget cuts - some could go without a paycheck all together.

Companies from the Norfolk shipyards to northern Virginia and even Fort Lee are warning of layoffs because of sequester. A few defense contractors are among those announcing mass layoffs in Virginia over the next few months.

Under the Federal Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act - also called WARN - any company planning to layoffs 50 or more people must give the state 60 days warning.

On the list - Fort Lee job losses are posted.

Advanced Federal Services Corporation, with military contracts in Fort Lee and Fort Eustis, projects a combined 168 layoffs. 96 are in our area.

I called the company head quarters in Atlanta for comment and was hung up on after being told "we're not interested."

Defense contractor Serco, which is based in northern Virginia, also filed WARN notices. The company says its layoffs could affect a combined 373 workers in Harrisonburg, Chesapeake and Merrifield.

Two Norfolk shipyard contractors filed warnings there could be layoffs. No number is given.

In all, we found 673 potential layoffs across the state because of the budget cuts.

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