Employers in Wisconsin filed 10 WARN Act notices in August 2024, impacting roughly 376 workers — representing a notable rise over July and down 69% versus August 2023. The average filing covered 38 workers, with 9 closures among the notices.
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 3 | 136 |
| Retail | 1 | 91 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 81 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 36 |
| Transportation | 1 | 32 |
The Other sector led the way in workforce reductions with 136 workers across 3 notices. In a parallel development, Retail reported 91 workers.
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 1 | 91 |
| Marinette | 1 | 48 |
| Dane | 2 | 48 |
| Barron | 1 | 46 |
| Shawno | 1 | 42 |
Milwaukee felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 24% of all affected workers with 91 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | 1 | 91 |
| Goodman | 1 | 48 |
| Rice Lake | 1 | 46 |
| Mattoon | 1 | 42 |
| Madison | 1 | 36 |
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 9 | 340 |
The high proportion of closures (90% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Wisconsin's labor market.
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festival Foods | Greenfield | 91 | Closure | 2024-08-13 |
| Goodman Veneer & Lumber Company | Goodman | 48 | Closure | 2024-08-01 |
| Birchwood Manufacturing | Rice Lake | 46 | Closure | 2024-08-01 |
| Wisconsin Veneer and Plywood | Mattoon | 42 | Closure | 2024-08-01 |
| Charter Communications LLC | Madison | 36 | 2024-08-28 | |
| EYM Chicken of Wisconsin dba KFC | Janesville, Beloit | 34 | Closure | 2024-08-22 |
| DHL Distribution | Sturtevant | 32 | Closure | 2024-08-30 |
| EYM Chicken of Wisconsin dba KFC | Reedsburg | 19 | Closure | 2024-08-22 |
| EYM Chicken of Wisconsin dba KFC | Watertown | 16 | Closure | 2024-08-22 |
| EYM Chicken of Wisconsin dba KFC | Stoughton | 12 | Closure | 2024-08-22 |
The single largest action involved Festival Foods at its Greenfield facility, reporting 91 affected workers. Goodman Veneer & Lumber Company followed with 48 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Wisconsin's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Other sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.
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