Kentucky Layoffs — July 2023
Employers in Kentucky posted 14 WARN Act notices in July 2023, affecting an estimated 441 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to June and up 568% versus July 2022. The average filing covered 32 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 7 | 147 |
| Transportation | 4 | 81 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 76 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 2 |
The Utilities sector saw the heaviest impact with 147 workers across 7 notices. On a related front, Transportation reported 81 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pike | 8 | 150 |
| Shelby | 1 | 135 |
| Clark | 1 | 76 |
| Fayette | 2 | 69 |
| McCracken | 1 | 6 |
Pike bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 34% of all affected workers with 150 workers across 8 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 1 | 135 |
| Louisville | 6 | 112 |
| Winchester | 1 | 76 |
| Elk Creek | 1 | 58 |
| Paw Paw | 1 | 39 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 291 |
| Layoff | 8 | 150 |
The high proportion of closures (66% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Kentucky's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ficosa North American | Bowling Green | 135 | Closure | |
| Multi Color | Winchester | 76 | Closure | |
| YRC Freight - Yellow | Louisville | 67 | Closure | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Elk Creek | Elk Creek | 58 | Layoff | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Paw Paw 2 South | Paw Paw | 39 | Layoff | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Paw Paw 2 North | Louisville | 20 | Layoff | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Surface Minerals #1 | Hazard | 15 | Layoff | |
| United Coal - Wellmore Energy | Louisville | 12 | Layoff | |
| YRC Freight - Yellow | Louisville | 6 | Closure | |
| YRC Freight - Yellow | Louisville | 5 | Closure | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Black Watch Shop and Central Warehouse Departments | Henderson | 3 | Layoff | |
| PBS Radiology Experts | Lexington | 2 | Closure | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Laboratory Department | Louisville | 2 | Layoff | |
| Wellmore Energy Company LLC - Black Watch #8 Prep Plant | Hazard | 1 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Ficosa North American at its Bowling Green facility, reporting 135 affected workers. Multi Color followed with 76 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Kentucky's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Utilities sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Kentucky. 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 Kentucky WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.