Alabama Layoffs — November 1998
Employers in Alabama logged 3 WARN Act notices in November 1998, involving roughly 1,964 workers — climbing above October. The average filing covered 655 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 1,600 |
The Manufacturing sector dominated layoff filings with 1,600 workers across 1 notice.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Colbert | 1 | 1,600 |
| Morgan | 1 | 282 |
| Elmore | 1 | 82 |
Colbert was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 81% of all affected workers with 1,600 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | 1 | 1,600 |
| Decatur | 1 | 282 |
| Tallassee | 1 | 82 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 1,964 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Alabama's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds Metals | Muscle Shoals | 1,600 | Closure | |
| Rust Constructors | Decatur | 282 | Closure | |
| Auburn Sportswear | Tallassee | 82 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Reynolds Metals at its Muscle Shoals facility, reporting 1,600 affected workers. Rust Constructors followed with 282 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
This data points to mounting pressure on the Alabama 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 Alabama. 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 Alabama WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.