North Carolina Layoffs — May 2017
Employers in North Carolina reported 11 WARN Act notices in May 2017, displacing an estimated 1,549 workers — signaling an acceleration from April and up 89% versus May 2016. The average filing covered 141 workers, with 11 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7 | 1,006 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 280 |
| Transportation | 2 | 216 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 47 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 1,006 workers across 7 notices. Notably, Professional Services reported 280 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Onslow | 1 | 280 |
| Guilford | 1 | 250 |
| Alamance | 2 | 238 |
| Mecklenburg | 1 | 233 |
| Robeson | 1 | 154 |
Onslow absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 18% of all affected workers with 280 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 1 | 280 |
| Greensboro | 1 | 250 |
| Reidsville | 2 | 238 |
| Charlotte | 1 | 233 |
| Lumberton | 1 | 154 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 11 | 1,549 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in North Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexxlinx | Jacksonville | 280 | Closure | |
| Kellogg | Greensboro | 250 | Closure | |
| Kellogg | Charlotte | 233 | Closure | |
| Alamac Investors, LLC DBA Alamac American Knits | Lumberton | 154 | Closure | |
| Ball Metal Beverage Packaging | Reidsville | 142 | Closure | |
| Celadon Trucking Services | Battleboro | 127 | Closure | |
| TMD WEK South | Reidsville | 96 | Closure | |
| First Transit | Raleigh | 89 | Closure | |
| Caterpillar | Morganton | 85 | Closure | |
| Care Services | Raleigh | 47 | Closure | |
| Olympic Steel | Siler City | 46 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Nexxlinx at its Jacksonville facility, reporting 280 affected workers. Kellogg followed with 250 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the North Carolina labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.