Employers in South Carolina reported 12 WARN Act notices in August 2020, displacing an estimated 994 workers — signaling a deceleration from July and up 168% versus August 2019. The average filing covered 83 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 60 |
| Agriculture | 1 | 50 |
The Accommodation & Food sector topped the list of affected industries with 60 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Agriculture reported 50 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 2 | 539 |
| Richland | 1 | 146 |
| Greenville | 2 | 133 |
| Charleston | 3 | 93 |
| Kershaw | 1 | 50 |
Lexington felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 54% of all affected workers with 539 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| West Columbia | 2 | 539 |
| Columbia | 1 | 146 |
| Piedmont | 1 | 114 |
| Charleston | 1 | 60 |
| Camden | 1 | 50 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 588 |
| Layoff | 6 | 292 |
The high proportion of closures (59% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in South Carolina's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akebono Brake Corporation | West Columbia | 351 | Closure | 2020-08-01 |
| Flex | West Columbia | 188 | Layoff | 2020-08-31 |
| Tyson Prepared Foods, Inc | Columbia | 146 | Closure | 2020-08-14 |
| PL Developments | Piedmont | 114 | 2020-08-29 | |
| Renaissance Charleston Historic District Hotel | Charleston | 60 | Layoff | 2020-08-26 |
| Shadwell Farm | Camden | 50 | Closure | 2020-08-31 |
| WestRock | North Charleston | 21 | Closure | 2020-08-16 |
| Oppermann | Anderson | 20 | Closure | 2020-08-01 |
| Avis Budget Group | Greer | 19 | Layoff | 2020-08-28 |
| Avis Budget Group | North Charleston | 12 | Layoff | 2020-08-28 |
| Amentum | Statewide | 10 | Layoff | 2020-08-28 |
| Avis Budget Group | Myrtle Beach | 3 | Layoff | 2020-08-28 |
The most significant filing came from Akebono Brake Corporation at its West Columbia facility, reporting 351 affected workers. Flex followed with 188 workers.
The numbers illustrate a mixed picture for South Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by South 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 South Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.
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