Virginia has the third most federal employees of any state or district in the country, behind only California and Washington D.C.
Although Northern Virginia’s proximity to Washington causes attention to shift towards that region more often than not, Tidewater stands to see an abundance of jobs altered or lost amidst the shake-ups going on with the federal government and the Department of Government Efficiency.
The area’s high percentage of veterans and huge naval presence leave Trump and Elon Musk’s promises to cut down on federal workers, especially those not actively living in Washington, at risk of permanently altering the economies of the seven cities.
According to WHRO, the 60,000 federal civilian workers that live in the state are at risk, and a bipartisan group of legislators and representatives from the area are pushing back against the job cuts.
Additionally, recent executive orders have led to Virginia hospitals, which already struggle with hiring, in desperate need of workers.
Regardless of whether the sharp and drastic measures to cut back on government spending are the right ones, it is abundantly clear that Hampton Roads will be among the hardest hit communities in the entire nation.
Many families are facing decisions like whether or not to uproot their lives and move to Washington or switch careers entirely, while others, like those working at the shipyards, may face job cuts that they have no way of getting out of.
It remains to be seen whether the Navy bases, as well as the many different jobs that are in place to service the Navy, will be able to function nearly as smoothly after Trump carries out his plan in full. With all of the chaos that has surrounded even the first couple months of Trump’s second term, that answer is beginning to look like a resounding “no.”
Anonymous • Mar 25, 2025 at 11:38 am
Job cuts equate lesser taxes and the ability for the government to have more money. Also, hospitals except military hospitals are privately owned.