Wisconsin Layoffs — July 2019
Employers in Wisconsin posted 8 WARN Act notices in July 2019, affecting an estimated 630 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to June and up 258% versus July 2018. The average filing covered 79 workers, with 4 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 280 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 194 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 74 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 43 |
| Retail | 1 | 39 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 280 workers across 3 notices. On a related front, Information & Technology reported 194 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 3 | 212 |
| Manitowoc | 1 | 145 |
| Kenosha | 1 | 95 |
| Dodge | 1 | 70 |
| Price | 1 | 65 |
Milwaukee absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 34% of all affected workers with 212 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 2 | 173 |
| Manitowoc | 1 | 145 |
| Pleasant Prairie | 1 | 95 |
| Waupun | 1 | 70 |
| Park Falls | 1 | 65 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 4 | 328 |
The high proportion of closures (52% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Wisconsin's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tramontina US Cookware | Manitowoc | 145 | Closure | |
| ResCare Workforce Services | Milwaukee | 99 | ||
| Arvato Digital Services | Pleasant Prairie | 95 | ||
| Community Development Institution - Head Start | Milwaukee | 74 | Closure | |
| Silgan Containers Manufacturing | Waupun | 70 | Closure | |
| Flambeau River Papers | Park Falls | 65 | ||
| U.S. Bank | Eau Claire | 43 | ||
| Bonton Department Store [aka Saks 5th Avenue, aka Saks 5th Avenue OFF 5TH] | Wauwatosa | 39 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Tramontina US Cookware at its Manitowoc facility, reporting 145 affected workers. ResCare Workforce Services followed with 99 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Wisconsin labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing 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.