North Carolina Layoffs — February 2017
Employers in North Carolina submitted 4 WARN Act notices in February 2017, putting at risk an estimated 730 workers — up substantially from January and down 58% versus February 2016. The average filing covered 182 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 2 | 506 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 169 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 55 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 506 workers across 2 notices. Separately, Professional Services reported 169 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Iredell | 1 | 431 |
| Pitt | 1 | 169 |
| Wilkes | 1 | 75 |
| Orange | 1 | 55 |
Iredell saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 59% of all affected workers with 431 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Mooresville | 1 | 431 |
| Greenville | 1 | 169 |
| Wilkesboro | 1 | 75 |
| Chapel Hill | 1 | 55 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 3 | 561 |
| Closure | 1 | 169 |
Closures accounted for 23% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowe's | Mooresville | 431 | Layoff | |
| Convergys | Greenville | 169 | Closure | |
| Lowe's | Wilkesboro | 75 | Layoff | |
| Cempra Pharmaceuticals | Chapel Hill | 55 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Lowe's at its Mooresville facility, reporting 431 affected workers. Convergys followed with 169 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
These figures highlight a mixed picture for North Carolina'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 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.