North Carolina Layoffs — August 2014
Employers in North Carolina submitted 5 WARN Act notices in August 2014, putting at risk an estimated 618 workers — up substantially from July and up 301% versus August 2013. The average filing covered 124 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 290 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 161 |
| Retail | 1 | 96 |
| Transportation | 1 | 71 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 290 workers across 2 notices. Separately, Accommodation & Food reported 161 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg | 3 | 316 |
| Wake | 1 | 206 |
| Guilford | 1 | 96 |
Mecklenburg bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 51% of all affected workers with 316 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 3 | 316 |
| New Hill | 1 | 206 |
| Greensboro | 1 | 96 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 547 |
| Layoff | 1 | 71 |
The high proportion of closures (89% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in North Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Fibers | New Hill | 206 | Closure | |
| Kellogg's Charlotte Bakery | Charlotte | 161 | Closure | |
| Kmart Store #4956 | Greensboro | 96 | Closure | |
| Eaton Vehicle Group | Charlotte | 84 | Closure | |
| United Airlines | Charlotte | 71 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Performance Fibers at its New Hill facility, reporting 206 affected workers. Kellogg's Charlotte Bakery followed with 161 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the North Carolina 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 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.