Mississippi Layoffs — August 2018
Employers in Mississippi filed 3 WARN Act notices in August 2018, impacting roughly 229 workers — representing a notable rise over July and down 45% versus August 2017. The average filing covered 76 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 172 |
| Retail | 1 | 40 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 17 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 172 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Retail reported 40 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Hinds | 1 | 172 |
| Lowndes | 1 | 40 |
| Tippah | 1 | 17 |
Hinds was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 75% of all affected workers with 172 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 1 | 172 |
| Columbus | 1 | 40 |
| Ripley | 1 | 17 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 212 |
| Layoff | 1 | 17 |
The high proportion of closures (93% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Mississippi's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Brands | Jackson | 172 | Closure | |
| Kmart Store | Columbus | 40 | Closure | |
| Tippah County Hospital | Ripley | 17 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Unified Brands at its Jackson facility, reporting 172 affected workers. Kmart Store followed with 40 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores a mixed picture for Mississippi'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 Mississippi. 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 Mississippi WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.