Wisconsin Layoffs — May 2018
Employers in Wisconsin recorded 9 WARN Act notices in May 2018, covering approximately 1,739 workers — marking a decline from April and up 442% versus May 2017. The average filing covered 193 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 2 | 652 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 651 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 128 |
| Professional Services | 2 | 123 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 100 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 85 |
The Retail sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 652 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, Arts & Entertainment reported 651 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 3 | 828 |
| Brown | 1 | 326 |
| Outagamie | 1 | 326 |
| Dane | 1 | 98 |
| Jefferson | 1 | 85 |
Milwaukee was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 48% of all affected workers with 828 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 2 | 728 |
| Appleton | 2 | 652 |
| Brown Deer and Glendale | 1 | 100 |
| Madison | 1 | 98 |
| Watertown | 1 | 85 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 782 |
| Layoff | 1 | 326 |
Closures accounted for 45% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Harris Bradley Center | Milwaukee | 651 | Closure | |
| Toys "R" Us, Inc. - Revision 1 | Appleton | 326 | Layoff | |
| Toys R Us | Appleton | 326 | ||
| First Citizens Bank - Revision 1 | Brown Deer and Glendale | 100 | ||
| Interim Healthcare of Wisconsin | Madison | 98 | ||
| Western Industries | Watertown | 85 | Closure | |
| Concentrix | Milwaukee | 77 | ||
| M.G. Design Associates | Pleasant Prairie | 46 | Closure | |
| Degen-Berglund | La Crosse | 30 |
Leading the list was BMO Harris Bradley Center at its Milwaukee facility, reporting 651 affected workers. Toys "R" Us, Inc. - Revision 1 followed with 326 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The filings reflect a mixed picture for Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.