North Carolina Layoffs — April 2017
Employers in North Carolina logged 5 WARN Act notices in April 2017, involving roughly 1,197 workers — climbing above March and down 3% versus April 2016. The average filing covered 239 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 1 | 755 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 204 |
| Retail | 1 | 138 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 100 |
The Education sector dominated layoff filings with 755 workers across 1 notice. Meanwhile, Manufacturing reported 204 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Forsyth | 2 | 862 |
| Mecklenburg | 1 | 138 |
| Durham | 1 | 100 |
| Martin | 1 | 97 |
Forsyth absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 72% of all affected workers with 862 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | 1 | 755 |
| Charlotte | 1 | 138 |
| Kernersville | 1 | 107 |
| Durham | 1 | 100 |
| Williamston | 1 | 97 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 862 |
| Closure | 3 | 335 |
Closures accounted for 28% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences | Winston-Salem | 755 | Layoff | |
| Dollar Express | Charlotte | 138 | Closure | |
| Ralph Lauren | Kernersville | 107 | Layoff | |
| CGI Federal | Durham | 100 | Closure | |
| Parkdale Mills (Plant 44) | Williamston | 97 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University Health Sciences at its Winston-Salem facility, reporting 755 affected workers. Dollar Express followed with 138 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
This data points to a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Education 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.