Employers in North Carolina submitted 9 WARN Act notices in May 2018, putting at risk an estimated 1,089 workers — up substantially from April and down 30% versus May 2017. The average filing covered 121 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 1 | 200 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 188 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 101 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 54 |
The Agriculture sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 200 workers across 1 notice. Separately, Manufacturing reported 188 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | 1 | 377 |
| Wilson | 2 | 301 |
| Wayne | 2 | 125 |
| Vance | 1 | 100 |
| Harnett | 1 | 69 |
Cumberland absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 377 workers across 1 notices.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 587 |
| Layoff | 3 | 502 |
The high proportion of closures (54% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in North Carolina's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sykes | 377 | Layoff | 2018-05-08 | |
| LM Farms, LLC dba Gardens Alive! Farms | 200 | Closure | 2018-05-31 | |
| Cooper Standard Automotive Inc | 122 | Layoff | 2018-05-14 | |
| WILSON MEDICAL CENTER (A Duke Lifepoint Hospital) | 101 | Closure | 2018-05-29 | |
| Staples Contract and Commercial Inc | 100 | Closure | 2018-05-07 | |
| Edwards Brothers Malloy | 69 | Closure | 2018-05-31 | |
| Parkdale Mills (Plant 25) | 63 | Closure | 2018-05-01 | |
| Home Point Financial Corporation | 54 | Closure | 2018-05-11 | |
| Cooper Standard Automotive, Inc | 3 | Layoff | 2018-05-14 |
Topping the list was Sykes at its North Carolina facility, reporting 377 affected workers. LM Farms, LLC dba Gardens Alive! Farms followed with 200 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Agriculture 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.
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