Ramaco Resources suspended production at the Laurel Fork mine in Berwind, McDowell County, on September 5, 2025, laying off 32 employees effective immediately as the company cited a volatile and depressed metallurgical coal market. The mine produces metallurgical coal used in steelmaking, much of which is exported abroad, and had produced 171,019 tons in 2024 and nearly 100,000 tons in the first half of 2025, according to industry reporting. The closure was confirmed by multiple outlets, including a WVVA report published September 8 and a Coal Age account on September 11.

The shutdown is part of a larger downturn that has already eliminated roughly 700 mining-related jobs across West Virginia this year. Ramaco, which operates three mine complexes across West Virginia and Virginia and employs about 1,000 people overall, said operations managers were monitoring market conditions and would maintain the site with an eye toward potential reopening should demand improve. The company’s operations manager, Chris Blanchard, provided statements to local media characterizing the decision as a response to market forces and indicating maintenance of the mine for possible restart.

For McDowell County, where coal mining remains a primary economic driver, the immediate impact is a loss of steady paychecks for households and added pressure on local services. The layoffs come in a county already contending with some of the highest poverty rates in the state and ongoing population decline. Analysts and local leaders warn that additional job losses can deepen fiscal strains on schools, health services and nonprofits that depend indirectly on mining-related income, potentially accelerating outmigration as workers and families search for employment elsewhere.

Discrepancies remain around the scale of the layoffs. Ramaco reports 32 affected employees, while some former employees have said the number may be closer to 60; those claims have not been independently verified at this writing. There is also uncertainty about the duration of the suspension. Company statements indicate the mine will be maintained for a potential reopening if metallurgical coal markets stabilize, but no timetable was provided.

The Laurel Fork suspension underscores broader market dynamics shaping the region’s economic trajectory. Metallurgical coal prices have been volatile amid shifting global steel demand and competition from alternative sources, and mines that serve export markets can be particularly sensitive to rapid price swings. For a community like McDowell County, where alternative employment opportunities are limited, such volatility translates quickly into household-level financial risk.

Local leaders, workforce agencies and state policymakers face immediate needs: verifying the full scope of layoffs, coordinating unemployment and benefits access for affected families, and assessing retraining or redeployment options for displaced workers. Longer term, the closure highlights the urgency of economic diversification efforts to reduce dependency on commodity cycles.

Reporting on the Laurel Fork suspension is new to county public resources and community trackers; the development has not yet been reflected on the Prism McDowell County page. Follow-up reporting will seek to clarify final layoff counts, any company plans for reopening, and the local response from service providers and government programs.