Wisconsin Layoffs — May 2016
Employers in Wisconsin filed 12 WARN Act notices in May 2016, impacting roughly 767 workers — representing a pullback from April. The average filing covered 64 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 508 |
| Finance & Insurance | 5 | 140 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 78 |
| Retail | 2 | 36 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 5 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 508 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Finance & Insurance reported 140 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 1 | 248 |
| Winnebago | 1 | 230 |
| Dane | 4 | 168 |
| Waukesha | 1 | 78 |
| Marathon | 2 | 36 |
Jefferson absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 32% of all affected workers with 248 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 1 | 248 |
| Menasha | 1 | 230 |
| Madison | 3 | 138 |
| Waukesha | 1 | 78 |
| Wausau | 2 | 36 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 343 |
Closures accounted for 45% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Foods | Jefferson | 248 | ||
| Graphic Packaging International | Menasha | 230 | Closure | |
| Sodexo | Waukesha | 78 | Closure | |
| Anchor Bank FSB - Main Street | Madison | 46 | ||
| Anchor Bank FSB - East Towne Blvd | Madison | 46 | ||
| Anchor Bank FSB - City View Dr | Madison | 46 | ||
| Sears | Wausau | 33 | ||
| Monsanto | Middleton | 30 | Closure | |
| Experience Works | West Bend | 5 | Closure | |
| Sears | Wausau | 3 | ||
| Anchor Bank FSB - Holiday Drive | Janesville | 1 | ||
| Anchor Bank FSB - Division Street | Stevens Point | 1 |
The single largest action involved Tyson Foods at its Jefferson facility, reporting 248 affected workers. Graphic Packaging International followed with 230 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The data underscores a mixed picture for Wisconsin's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Wisconsin. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Wisconsin WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.