Wisconsin Layoffs — August 2018
Employers in Wisconsin submitted 8 WARN Act notices in August 2018, putting at risk an estimated 415 workers — up substantially from July and down 82% versus August 2017. The average filing covered 52 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 3 | 216 |
| Other | 1 | 54 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 54 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 36 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 30 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 25 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 216 workers across 3 notices. Separately, Other reported 54 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Dane | 2 | 148 |
| Ozaukee | 1 | 68 |
| Brown | 2 | 66 |
| Outagamie | 1 | 54 |
| Kenosha | 1 | 54 |
Dane bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 36% of all affected workers with 148 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Middleton | 2 | 148 |
| Grafton | 1 | 68 |
| Green Bay | 2 | 66 |
| Appleton | 1 | 54 |
| Pleasant Prairie | 1 | 54 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 3 | 158 |
Closures accounted for 38% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Middleton | 112 | ||
| Best Buy | Grafton | 68 | Closure | |
| Midwest Senior Living | Appleton | 54 | Closure | |
| ACCO Brands | Pleasant Prairie | 54 | ||
| West | Green Bay | 36 | ||
| P.F. Chang's | Middleton | 36 | Closure | |
| OneTouchPoint | Green Bay | 30 | ||
| Marshfield Clinic Health System | Marshfield | 25 |
Topping the list was West at its Middleton facility, reporting 112 affected workers. Best Buy followed with 68 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight 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.