Kentucky Layoffs — November 1998
Employers in Kentucky submitted 8 WARN Act notices in November 1998, putting at risk an estimated 1,177 workers — up substantially from October. The average filing covered 147 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 843 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 151 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 104 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 79 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 843 workers across 5 notices. Separately, Mining & Energy reported 151 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Metcalfe | 2 | 364 |
| Jefferson | 1 | 171 |
| Casey | 1 | 162 |
| Martin | 1 | 151 |
| Monroe | 1 | 146 |
Metcalfe absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 31% of all affected workers with 364 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain Run | 2 | 364 |
| Louisville | 2 | 317 |
| Cave City | 1 | 162 |
| Martin | 1 | 151 |
| Knox | 1 | 104 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 902 |
| Layoff | 2 | 275 |
The high proportion of closures (77% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Kentucky's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Apparel Summer Shade Plant Fountain Run Plant | Fountain Run | 197 | Closure | |
| Nine West Group | Louisville | 171 | Layoff | |
| Kentucky Apparel Summer Shade Plant Fountain Run Plant | Fountain Run | 167 | Closure | |
| OshKosh B'Gosh | Cave City | 162 | Closure | |
| Bizwill, Inc. (Martiki Coal) | Martin | 151 | Closure | |
| Red Kap Industries | Louisville | 146 | Closure | |
| National-Standard | Knox | 104 | Layoff | |
| Harley Hotels | Lexington | 79 | Closure |
Topping the list was Kentucky Apparel Summer Shade Plant Fountain Run Plant at its Fountain Run facility, reporting 197 affected workers. Nine West Group followed with 171 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the Kentucky 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 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.