Richmond - Guangzhou Rapid Prototype Inc.

No Limbits founder, Erica Cole, talks about her accessible clothing brand for people with disabilities.

When Erica Cole lost her leg in a car accident in 2018, she had to relearn how to live her life. Everything was hard. But one of the hardest things, she discovered, was simply getting dressed.

Initially, she struggled getting dressed because of the size of her prosthetic leg. Nothing fit. She had to wear sweatpants three sizes too large. That’s when Cole turned to her trusty sewing machine.

Soon, she began altering her clothing to fit properly and thought other amputees would want the same.

Erica Cole is the founder of No Limbits, a clothing brand that designs accessible clothing for people with disabilities.

Cole is the founder of No Limbits, an adaptive clothing brand with the mission of increasing comfort, confidence and independence for people who struggle with clothing due to disability.

No Limbits currently offers pants for people who use wheelchairs, leggings for those with limited dexterity and sensory-friendly tank tops.

July was Disability Pride Month, and Cole has noticed more buzz around the topic than last year, with more attention to the adaptive apparel space. No Limbits is currently highlighted on Walmart.com.

“What we’ve been working towards this whole time is adaptive being a category within traditional fashion,” Cole said. “In the same way that maternity is a category, we think adaptive should have the same treatment.”

No Limbits recently launched its sensory-friendly collection and has more products on the way. The company has been working on adaptive jackets for a long time — a really technical garment to design, Cole said. That is expected to be rolled out next.

Here’s how some of the clothing works:

Wheelchair pants from No Limbits are designed to have a high rise in the back, a low rise in the front, and zippers to help people get dressed while lying down.

The No Limbits leggings have loops around the waistline. For someone who has limited dexterity in their hands, the loops allows them to dress without the grip strength needed to traditionally pull up leggings. The No Limbits leggings, which retail for $70, also feature pockets on the side with a magnetic closure and a more accessible reach.

The No Limbits sensory-friendly tank top, $32, may serve as a bra substitute, an undershirt or simply by itself. It is seamless and has heat-transfer labels, meaning that nothing will irritate someone with sensory processing disorders. It also has compressive panels on the sides that hug the trunk area, which can be soothing and regulating.

The No Limbits wheelchair pants were the most technically challenging piece to design. They cost $75 and are high-waisted in the back and low-waisted in the front. They feature zippered pockets on the thighs that are more accessible when sitting down. There are side zippers down the bottom of the pants, so it’s easier to get them on and off. Additionally, on the inside, the person can change their own catheter without getting off the chair by folding down the front panel and having catheter loops on the inside.

No Limbits’ sensory-friendly compression tank is designed to be seamless, tag-less and moisture wicking. It can be worn on its own or underneath clothing. Erica Cole designed it after realizing bras were difficult for people who have a variety of types of disabilities.

The sizing and grading was a new challenge, Cole said. People in wheelchairs see their bodies change over time; people have muscle atrophy that usually leads to the legs being skinnier, but that’s not necessarily true for the waist and hips. About halfway up the thigh area is reinforced with ripstop material where prosthetics and braces usually wear through the fabric.

“These are where it all started,” Cole said of the No Limbits collections.

In addition to Cole, No Limbits currently employs five people: a COO, a director of product, a partnerships manager, a retail manager and a marketing manager.

The partnerships manager is also an occupational therapist and a bilateral amputee. She works with focus groups and clinics. No Limbits interviewed many wheelchair users, for example, to really understand what traditional clothing lacks.

The No Limbits process of getting a product to market starts with interviews and focus groups that usually include 15 to 20 people each round. Then the team moves on to the sewing machine to create a prototype of the product that will solve the challenges posed in the interviews.

Erica Cole designed leggings for people with low dexterity. One of their features is magnetic pocket closures.

The product then moves on to an iterative rapid prototyping phase where the people test the product. Once approved, a tech pack is created and sent to different manufacturers that specialize in different areas.

“We’ve gotten a lot of messages that are like, ‘I haven’t been able to wear pants in 20 years, and these are the first pants I’ve been able to wear,’” Cole said. “It’s been just an overwhelmingly positive response.”

Cole founded the business in Iowa in 2019, but officially began working on it in the summer of 2020. Cole moved to Washington, D.C., for a six-month incubator — a collaborative program for startups. She then did one year in St. Louis.

Cole moved to Richmond in 2022 for Lighthouse Labs, a local startup accelerator. She now works at Startup Virginia, a nonprofit that offers a space for startups.

Richmond entrepreneur Erica Cole will be featured in an episode of Shark Tank Friday, April 1.

No Limbits appeared on “Shark Tank,” a business reality show featuring investors and founders. Cole launched a Kickstarter in 2021 that garnered the attention of one of the show’s producers.

The episode aired in the beginning of 2022 with Mark Cuban and Emma Grede investing $100,000 in No Limbits for 10% of the company. Cole goes back and forth with Cuban and Grede through email about once a month, for their mentorship.

Since then, No Limbits has received $1.4 million in seed round funding. Last year, No Limbits walked the runway during New York Fashion Week.

A stack of clothing from No Limbits, an accessible clothing brand for people with disabilities, sits on a windowsill.

Cole, sporting a “disability isn’t a bad word” T-shirt, said her relationship with her disability has changed over time, and it continues to evolve. There is the concept of an “ampuversary” in the amputee community: the anniversary of the day they lost their limb.

“It’s celebrating the survival and overcoming of a challenge, and Disability Pride Month is the time for that kind of energy,” said Cole, adding that it feels like the movement has come far and she’s excited to be a part of that.

World economies have been left in disarray after the COVID-19 pandemic shocked supply chains and deeply affected the global workforce. And the U.S. has been no exception.

As financial rescue efforts fade into the background, the U.S. economy is facing dual crises of stubbornly persistent inflation and uncertainty about a looming downturn stemming from central banks' own prescription for combatting inflation—higher interest rates.

Companies spent 2022 pulling back on spending and new hires, moving forward cautiously. Nationwide, about 1.7 million people were laid off or fired in January 2023. That's up about 16% from December 2022 and about 20% from January 2022.

Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to rank 19 major industries by the number of layoffs they had in January 2023. The analysis uses seasonally adjusted data. Numbers for the month are preliminary and may be updated.

- January 2023 layoffs: 5,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: -2,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #11)

--- Change from prior month: +0.1 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: -0.4 percentage points

The mining and logging industry includes oil and gas workers as well as workers who cut timber and produce wood for residential construction. The logging industry has faced an unseasonably warm winter in some parts of the U.S. as well as rising costs, which business leaders have cited as the reason for workforce cuts.

The salaries of oil and gas industry CEOs have climbed while they continue to cut their workforce, claiming to Congress at one point last year that record retail gas prices were a result of a labor shortage. The largest companies by market capitalization in the sector have enjoyed record profits in recent years and paid shareholders handsomely.

- January 2023 layoffs: 5,000

--- Change from prior month: -5,000

--- Change from January 2022: -2,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.2% (Rank: #19)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: No change

The federal government represents around 6% of all jobs in the country including the military, the departments of labor, education, and justice, and other federal agencies—as well as the U.S. Postal Service. The size of the federal government's payroll has "significantly" decreased over the last 50 years, according to the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.

- January 2023 layoffs: 22,000

--- Change from prior month: +3,000

--- Change from January 2022: +1,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.3% (Rank: #18)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: No change

Finance and insurance companies enjoyed an employment boom in recent years, spurred by the onset of the pandemic. Americans cooped up in their apartments and houses leapt at the chance to secure larger homes for themselves at historically low interest rates. In today's higher interest rate environment, these firms may find themselves poorly equipped to keep all of their workers on payroll. On the other hand, Americans have continued to borrow at surprising rates as inflation eats into their bottom lines.

- January 2023 layoffs: 28,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from January 2022: +4,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.1 percentage points

The nation's educational services industry comprises elementary and secondary school teachers as well college professors and nontraditional educators like online tutors. Colleges have struggled with a decline in overall enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some in the industry fear some institutions may downsize.

- January 2023 layoffs: 31,000

--- Change from prior month: +13,000

--- Change from January 2022: +19,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.3% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: +0.5 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.8 percentage points

The real estate industry was among the first to feel the effects of rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve began its attempts to control inflation in 2022. Thousands of real estate agents and brokers have lost their jobs since rates began increasing and inventory has remained squeezed.

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- January 2023 layoffs: 41,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: -18,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: -0.4 percentage points

The so-called "other services" category of American industry includes service-oriented jobs that don't fit neatly into any other category. It includes jobs like equipment repair, religious work, and end-of-life care, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

- January 2023 layoffs: 45,000

--- Change from prior month: +8,000

--- Change from January 2022: +13,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.4% (Rank: #17)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: +0.1 percentage points

Public school teachers are represented in the state and local government education sector, a field that has struggled to attract and retain teachers over the last decade as public school funding has dried up. Record inflation has made teaching wages close to unlivable in some places as conservative elected officials have slashed public education funding. Public schools may be forced to cut teachers in the event that costs rise to unmanageable levels.

- January 2023 layoffs: 47,000

--- Change from prior month: -3,000

--- Change from January 2022: +12,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #15)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: +0.1 percentage points

State and local governments feared that the U.S. could face a shortfall of tax revenue when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Record federal rescue funds kept Americans spending, however, and put ample money back into some state tax coffers. Other states are just now feeling tax revenues bounce back, leading to proposals to pass the savings on to voters in the form of tax cuts in some places.

- January 2023 layoffs: 47,000

--- Change from prior month: +1,000

--- Change from January 2022: -14,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.5% (Rank: #5)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: -0.5 percentage points

The information industry includes those working in media, which took a haircut in 2022 as corporate media outlets cut their head counts, citing uncertainty about the future of the economy. Interest in media, and with it ad dollars, spiked during the Trump administration as Americans tuned into cable news and visited news websites to keep up with two impeachments and near-weekly scandals.

- January 2023 layoffs: 55,000

--- Change from prior month: +11,000

--- Change from January 2022: +7,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.1% (Rank: #7)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.1 percentage points

The phrase "nondurable goods" is a fancy way of saying any item you can purchase that will go bad if left on a shelf for too long, or will only provide the consumer with a single use before it's gone. These items include food and cleaning products or even cigarettes. Americans working in nondurable goods manufacturing might work for a food processor like Frito-Lay or a makeup brand.

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- January 2023 layoffs: 57,000

--- Change from prior month: +3,000

--- Change from January 2022: -13,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: -0.2 percentage points

Durable goods include any item you purchase that gets reused over time and does not expire. These can be plastic storage bins, children's toys, and even technology like smartphones. Manufacturing of durable goods saw a boom in the first two years of the pandemic as consumers spent their incomes on the only things they could safely enjoy from their homes. Some of those manufacturers have had to scale back head counts as consumer demand has dropped off in the goods-producing sector and moved into services.

- January 2023 layoffs: 59,000

--- Change from prior month: +7,000

--- Change from January 2022: -29,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 2.5% (Rank: #1)

--- Change from prior month: +0.3 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: -1.5 percentage points

The arts and entertainment sector was among the hardest hit in the steep COVID-19 recession of 2020. Public health recommendations meant consumers were extremely wary of businesses like theme parks and airlines, which scaled back or closed operations for a time. The drop-off in demand was particularly difficult for movie theaters as Americans leaned into digital streaming services at home.

- January 2023 layoffs: 62,000

--- Change from prior month: +3,000

--- Change from January 2022: +25,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.0% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: +0.4 percentage points

Wholesale trade companies are intermediaries that don't necessarily advertise their business to consumers. They operate in the background, buying inventory from manufacturers and reselling it to retailers. An American working in wholesale may be employed by Costco or a medical wholesaler like McKesson.

- January 2023 layoffs: 112,000

--- Change from prior month: -8,000

--- Change from January 2022: -22,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #15)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: -0.2 percentage points

The health care and social assistance sector is experiencing rising demand for its services as Americans continue to get older and live longer on average. The pandemic exhausted health care workers and accelerated the shift from in-hospital care to home care for elderly patients. While medical care costs have risen with inflation, the health care industry is also at a crisis point trying to attract enough new nurses to care for Americans.

- January 2023 layoffs: 123,000

--- Change from prior month: +16,000

--- Change from January 2022: +52,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.7% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.7 percentage points

The transportation warehousing and utilities industry encompasses the massive supply chain in the U.S., which experienced unending hiccups and shocks throughout the last several years. Freight shipping companies have laid off staff over the last year, citing difficult economic conditions that have tamped down demand.

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- January 2023 layoffs: 137,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from January 2022: -1,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 0.9% (Rank: #10)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: No change

Retail trade is one of the largest employers in the country and includes employees at companies like Target and Kroger brand grocery stores. Workers in these industries have faced some of the most difficult working conditions as they served customers through the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, companies like Walmart and Nordstrom have announced cuts to their workforces.

- January 2023 layoffs: 139,000

--- Change from prior month: -2,000

--- Change from January 2022: +20,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 1.0% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from January 2022: +0.1 percentage points

The accommodation and food services industry comprises hotels, motels, full-service restaurants, and fast food chains that employ tens of millions of Americans. These leisure services struggled in the first two years of the pandemic as Americans pulled back on activities that they felt could expose them to COVID-19.

- January 2023 layoffs: 172,000

--- Change from prior month: +6,000

--- Change from January 2022: +32,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 2.2% (Rank: #3)

--- Change from prior month: +0.1 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.4 percentage points

The construction industry suffered a crippling pause at the start of the pandemic that resulted in a shock to home inventory. But as the pandemic progressed, so too did new home, multifamily, and commercial construction. With vaccines now widely available, pressure will come from higher interest rates driving down demand for new homes.

- January 2023 layoffs: 528,000

--- Change from prior month: +190,000

--- Change from January 2022: +207,000

- January 2023 layoff rate: 2.3% (Rank: #2)

--- Change from prior month: +0.8 percentage points

--- Change from January 2022: +0.9 percentage points

The professional and business services industry comprises attorneys, marketing, accountants, and other professionals who support businesses in mostly white-collar positions. Many of these positions have been safe over the past three years as demand from consumers remained hot and companies seemingly couldn't find enough workers to fill jobs. But interest-rate hikes and bank failures may spell trouble.

- March 2023 layoffs: 6,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from March 2022: No change

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.2% (Rank: #19)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from March 2022: No change

The federal government represents around 6% of all jobs in the country, including the military, the departments of Labor, Education, and Justice, and other federal agencies—as well as the Postal Service. The size of the federal government's payroll has "significantly" decreased over the last 50 years, according to the nonpartisan Brookings Institution.

- March 2023 layoffs: 9,000

--- Change from prior month: +2,000

--- Change from March 2022: +5,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.4% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: +0.3 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.8 percentage points

The mining and logging industry includes oil and gas workers and those who cut timber and produce wood for residential construction. The logging industry is emerging from an unseasonably warm winter in some parts of the U.S. in addition to rising costs, which business leaders have cited as the reason for workforce cuts.

The salaries of oil and gas industry CEOs have climbed while they continue to cut their workforce, claiming to Congress at one point in 2022 that record retail gas prices were a result of a labor shortage. The largest companies by market capitalization in the sector have enjoyed record profits in recent years and paid shareholders handsomely.

- March 2023 layoffs: 19,000

--- Change from prior month: +1,000

--- Change from March 2022: No change

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #11)

--- Change from prior month: +0.1 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: No change

- March 2023 layoffs: 28,000

--- Change from prior month: -4,000

--- Change from March 2022: +6,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #14)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.1 percentage points

The nation's educational services industry comprises elementary and secondary school teachers, college professors, and nontraditional educators like online tutors. Colleges have struggled with a decline in overall enrollment since the onset of the pandemic, and some in the industry fear institutions may downsize.

- March 2023 layoffs: 31,000

--- Change from prior month: +11,000

--- Change from March 2022: +9,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #16)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

Finance and insurance companies enjoyed an employment boom in recent years, spurred by the onset of the pandemic. Americans cooped up in their apartments and houses leaped at the chance to secure larger homes for themselves at historically low interest rates. In today's higher interest rate environment, these firms may be poorly equipped to keep all their workers on the payroll. On the other hand, Americans have continued to borrow at surprising rates as inflation eats into their bottom lines.

- March 2023 layoffs: 33,000

--- Change from prior month: -3,000

--- Change from March 2022: -6,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.3% (Rank: #18)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from March 2022: -0.1 percentage points

Public school teachers are represented in the state and local government education sector, which has struggled to attract and retain teachers over the last decade as public school funding has dried up. Record inflation has made teaching wages nearly unlivable in some places as conservative elected officials have slashed funding. Public schools may be forced to cut teachers if costs increase.

- March 2023 layoffs: 34,000

--- Change from prior month: -6,000

--- Change from March 2022: -3,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.4% (Rank: #17)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from March 2022: No change

State and local governments feared that the U.S. could face a shortfall of tax revenue when the pandemic began. However, record federal rescue funds kept Americans spending and put ample money back into some state tax coffers. Other states are just now feeling tax revenues bounce back, leading to proposals to pass the savings on to voters via tax cuts in some places.

- March 2023 layoffs: 38,000

--- Change from prior month: -11,000

--- Change from March 2022: +19,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.2% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: -0.4 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.6 percentage points

The information industry includes those working in media, which took a haircut in 2022 as corporate media outlets slashed their head counts, citing uncertainty about the economy's future. Interest in media—and with it, ad dollars—has not returned to the levels seen during the Trump administration as Americans tuned into cable news and visited news websites to keep up with two impeachments and near-weekly scandals.

- March 2023 layoffs: 47,000

--- Change from prior month: -7,000

--- Change from March 2022: +12,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #11)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- March 2023 layoffs: 56,000

--- Change from prior month: -5,000

--- Change from March 2022: +5,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.1% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: No change

The phrase "nondurable goods" is a fancy way of describing any item you can purchase that will go bad if left on a shelf for too long or will only provide the consumer with a single use before it's gone. These items include some foods, cleaning products, and even cigarettes. Americans working in nondurable goods manufacturing might work for a food processor like Frito-Lay or a makeup brand.

- March 2023 layoffs: 64,000

--- Change from prior month: +12,000

--- Change from March 2022: +10,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.1% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- March 2023 layoffs: 65,000

--- Change from prior month: +12,000

--- Change from March 2022: +15,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #11)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

Durable goods include any item you purchase that gets reused over time and does not expire. These can be plastic storage bins, children's toys, and even technology like smartphones. Manufacturing of durable goods saw a boom in the first two years of the pandemic as consumers spent their incomes on the only things they could safely enjoy from their homes. Some manufacturers have since scaled back head counts as consumer demand has dropped off in the goods-producing sector and moved into services.

- March 2023 layoffs: 83,000

--- Change from prior month: +11,000

--- Change from March 2022: +20,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 3.4% (Rank: #2)

--- Change from prior month: +0.4 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.6 percentage points

- March 2023 layoffs: 105,000

--- Change from prior month: -11,000

--- Change from March 2022: +33,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.4% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: -0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.4 percentage points

- March 2023 layoffs: 135,000

--- Change from prior month: -21,000

--- Change from March 2022: -10,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.9% (Rank: #10)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: No change

Retail trade is one of the largest employers in the country and includes employees at companies like Target and Kroger brand grocery stores. Workers in these industries have faced some of the most difficult working conditions as they served customers through the dangers of the pandemic. In 2023, companies like Walmart and Nordstrom announced cuts to their workforces.

- March 2023 layoffs: 154,000

--- Change from prior month: +42,000

--- Change from March 2022: +39,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #14)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- March 2023 layoffs: 173,000

--- Change from prior month: +63,000

--- Change from March 2022: +40,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.2% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: +0.4 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

The accommodation and food services industry comprises hotels, motels, full-service restaurants, and fast-food chains that employ tens of millions of Americans. These leisure services struggled in the first two years of the pandemic as Americans pulled back on activities they felt could expose them to COVID-19 and are adjusting to new economic realities.

- March 2023 layoffs: 294,000

--- Change from prior month: +112,000

--- Change from March 2022: +172,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 3.7% (Rank: #1)

--- Change from prior month: +1.4 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +2.1 percentage points

The construction industry suffered a crippling pause at the start of the pandemic that resulted in a shock to home inventory. But as the pandemic progressed, so did new home, multifamily, and commercial construction. Now pressure is coming from higher interest rates driving down demand for new homes.

- March 2023 layoffs: 431,000

--- Change from prior month: +49,000

--- Change from March 2022: +42,000

- March 2023 layoff rate: 1.9% (Rank: #3)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from March 2022: +0.2 percentage points

The professional and business services industry comprises attorneys, accountants, and other professionals who support businesses in mostly white-collar positions. Many of these positions have been safe over the past three years as demand from consumers remained hot and companies seemingly couldn't find enough workers to fill jobs. But interest rate hikes and bank failures may spell trouble.

Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close.

- April 2023 layoffs: 6,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: -1,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.2% (Rank: #19)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: No change

- April 2023 layoffs: 6,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from April 2022: +3,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 1.0% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: +0.5 percentage points

The mining and logging industry includes oil and gas workers as well as workers who cut timber and produce wood for residential construction. The logging industry faced an unseasonably warm winter in some parts of the U.S. as well as rising costs, which business leaders have cited as the reason for workforce cuts.

- April 2023 layoffs: 16,000

--- Change from prior month: -5,000

--- Change from April 2022: -1,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.7% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: -0.2 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: No change

- April 2023 layoffs: 16,000

--- Change from prior month: -33,000

--- Change from April 2022: -12,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #14)

--- Change from prior month: -1.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: -0.4 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 21,000

--- Change from prior month: -11,000

--- Change from April 2022: +5,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #14)

--- Change from prior month: -0.3 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 31,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from April 2022: +13,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #14)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 40,000

--- Change from prior month: +2,000

--- Change from April 2022: +4,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.4% (Rank: #17)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: No change

- April 2023 layoffs: 41,000

--- Change from prior month: +3,000

--- Change from April 2022: +10,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.4% (Rank: #17)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 49,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from April 2022: +6,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #10)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 55,000

--- Change from prior month: -4,000

--- Change from April 2022: -4,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.9% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 56,000

--- Change from prior month: +4,000

--- Change from April 2022: +4,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 1.2% (Rank: #5)

--- Change from prior month: +0.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 64,000

--- Change from prior month: -2,000

--- Change from April 2022: +3,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.8% (Rank: #10)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: No change

- April 2023 layoffs: 64,000

--- Change from prior month: -30,000

--- Change from April 2022: -11,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 2.6% (Rank: #1)

--- Change from prior month: -1.3 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: -0.7 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 105,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +25,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 1.4% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +0.3 percentage points

The transportation, warehousing, and utilities industry encompasses the massive supply chain in the U.S., which experienced unending hiccups and shocks throughout the last several years. Freight shipping companies have laid off staff over the last year, citing difficult economic conditions that have tamped down demand.

- April 2023 layoffs: 123,000

--- Change from prior month: -34,000

--- Change from April 2022: -5,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.6% (Rank: #13)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: No change

- April 2023 layoffs: 126,000

--- Change from prior month: -56,000

--- Change from April 2022: -3,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 0.9% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: -0.4 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 160,000

--- Change from prior month: +26,000

--- Change from April 2022: +33,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 1.0% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: +0.1 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 189,000

--- Change from prior month: -113,000

--- Change from April 2022: +81,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 2.4% (Rank: #2)

--- Change from prior month: -1.4 percentage points

--- Change from April 2022: +1.0 percentage points

- April 2023 layoffs: 414,000

--- Change from prior month: -9,000

--- Change from April 2022: +89,000

- April 2023 layoff rate: 1.8% (Rank: #3)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from April 2022: +0.3 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 8,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -3,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.3% (Rank: #19)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 8,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: +3,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.2% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: +0.3 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 13,000

--- Change from prior month: -2,000

--- Change from May 2022: -1,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #15)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 20,000

--- Change from prior month: -1,000

--- Change from May 2022: -7,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #15)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -0.2 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 35,000

--- Change from prior month: +21,000

--- Change from May 2022: +5,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.1% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: +0.6 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 38,000

--- Change from prior month: +10,000

--- Change from May 2022: -8,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.6% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 38,000

--- Change from prior month: -15,000

--- Change from May 2022: -33,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.6% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: -0.3 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: -0.6 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 39,000

--- Change from prior month: +1,000

--- Change from May 2022: +6,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.4% (Rank: #18)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 47,000

--- Change from prior month: -5,000

--- Change from May 2022: +12,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.5% (Rank: #15)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 51,000

--- Change from prior month: -5,000

--- Change from May 2022: -19,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 2.1% (Rank: #1)

--- Change from prior month: -0.2 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: -1.0 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 56,000

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -8,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.9% (Rank: #11)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -0.2 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 61,000

--- Change from prior month: +3,000

--- Change from May 2022: +11,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.2% (Rank: #6)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 79,000

--- Change from prior month: +17,000

--- Change from May 2022: +30,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.0% (Rank: #10)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.4 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 95,000

--- Change from prior month: -10,000

--- Change from May 2022: +23,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.3% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: -0.1 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.3 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 123,000

--- Change from prior month: -71,000

--- Change from May 2022: +23,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.5% (Rank: #3)

--- Change from prior month: -0.9 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.2 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 128,000

--- Change from prior month: -3,000

--- Change from May 2022: -14,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 0.6% (Rank: #12)

--- Change from prior month: No change

--- Change from May 2022: -0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 155,000

--- Change from prior month: +24,000

--- Change from May 2022: +22,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.1% (Rank: #8)

--- Change from prior month: +0.2 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.1 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 253,000

--- Change from prior month: +87,000

--- Change from May 2022: +119,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.6% (Rank: #2)

--- Change from prior month: +0.5 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: +0.7 percentage points

- May 2023 layoffs: 308,000

--- Change from prior month: -86,000

--- Change from May 2022: -89,000

- May 2023 layoff rate: 1.3% (Rank: #4)

--- Change from prior month: -0.4 percentage points

--- Change from May 2022: -0.5 percentage points

Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves (804) 649-6123

gdecamargogoncalves

@timesdispatch.com

@decamgabriela on Twitter

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Hadad’s Lake, an iconic Richmond-area man-made lake that has served as a local swimming spot since 1965, is for sale.