North Carolina Layoffs — May 2014
Employers in North Carolina filed 8 WARN Act notices in May 2014, impacting roughly 867 workers — representing a notable rise over April and down 15% versus May 2013. The average filing covered 108 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5 | 569 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 206 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 92 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 569 workers across 5 notices. In a parallel development, Healthcare reported 206 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Guilford | 1 | 264 |
| Craven | 2 | 190 |
| Anson | 1 | 144 |
| Burke | 1 | 87 |
| Mecklenburg | 1 | 65 |
Guilford felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 30% of all affected workers with 264 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| High Point | 1 | 264 |
| Wadesboro | 1 | 144 |
| New Bern | 1 | 98 |
| Cherry Point | 1 | 92 |
| Morganton | 1 | 87 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 658 |
| Layoff | 3 | 209 |
The high proportion of closures (76% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in North Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelcase | High Point | 264 | Closure | |
| Carolinas HealthCare System (Anson Community Hospital) | Wadesboro | 144 | Closure | |
| Maola Milk & Ice Cream | New Bern | 98 | Closure | |
| Northrop Grumman Technical Services | Cherry Point | 92 | Layoff | |
| Heritage Home Group | Morganton | 87 | Closure | |
| Remington Outdoor | Pineville | 65 | Closure | |
| ARAMARK Healthcare Support Services | Greenville | 62 | Layoff | |
| Ellwood Advanced Components (EAC) | Rural Hall | 55 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Steelcase at its High Point facility, reporting 264 affected workers. Carolinas HealthCare System (Anson Community Hospital) followed with 144 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by North Carolina. 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 North Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.