North Carolina Layoffs — December 2016
Employers in North Carolina reported 5 WARN Act notices in December 2016, displacing an estimated 382 workers — signaling an acceleration from November and down 17% versus December 2015. The average filing covered 76 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4 | 286 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 96 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 286 workers across 4 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 96 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 1 | 150 |
| Rutherford | 1 | 96 |
| Gaston | 1 | 72 |
| Chatham | 1 | 48 |
| Randolph | 1 | 16 |
Wilson was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 39% of all affected workers with 150 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 1 | 150 |
| Forest City | 1 | 96 |
| Gastonia | 1 | 72 |
| Moncure | 1 | 48 |
| Asheboro | 1 | 16 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 4 | 310 |
| Closure | 1 | 72 |
Closures accounted for 19% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArdaghGroup | Wilson | 150 | Layoff | |
| Security Industry Specialist | Forest City | 96 | Layoff | |
| CornellCookson | Gastonia | 72 | Closure | |
| Arauco Panels USA | Moncure | 48 | Layoff | |
| Arrow International, Inc. (Teleflex, Inc.) | Asheboro | 16 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from ArdaghGroup at its Wilson facility, reporting 150 affected workers. Security Industry Specialist followed with 96 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for North Carolina'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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.