Mississippi Layoffs — January 2012
Employers in Mississippi posted 9 WARN Act notices in January 2012, affecting an estimated 705 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to December and up 442% versus January 2011. The average filing covered 78 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 2 | 245 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1 | 155 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 122 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 112 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 47 |
| Education | 2 | 24 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 245 workers across 2 notices. On a related front, Wholesale Trade reported 155 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hinds | 4 | 311 |
| Lee | 1 | 155 |
| DeSoto | 1 | 112 |
| Lowndes | 1 | 75 |
| Jones | 1 | 47 |
Hinds bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 44% of all affected workers with 311 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 4 | 311 |
| Shannon | 1 | 155 |
| Olive Branch | 1 | 112 |
| Columbus | 1 | 75 |
| Laurel | 1 | 47 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 559 |
| Layoff | 4 | 146 |
The high proportion of closures (79% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Mississippi's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sears | Jackson | 170 | Closure | |
| Sara Lee | Shannon | 155 | Closure | |
| University Medical Center | Jackson | 118 | Layoff | |
| Exel Incorporation | Olive Branch | 112 | Closure | |
| Sears | Columbus | 75 | Closure | |
| G&K Services | Laurel | 47 | Closure | |
| Central MS Planning & Dev District | Jackson | 19 | Layoff | |
| Southwest MS Planning & Dev District | Natchez | 5 | Layoff | |
| Central Mississippi Health Services | Jackson | 4 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Sears at its Jackson facility, reporting 170 affected workers. Sara Lee followed with 155 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Mississippi's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Mississippi. 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 Mississippi WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.