Wisconsin Layoffs — November 2019
Employers in Wisconsin reported 8 WARN Act notices in November 2019, displacing an estimated 581 workers — signaling an acceleration from October and up 74% versus November 2018. The average filing covered 73 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 243 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 120 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 77 |
| Information & Technology | 2 | 71 |
| Retail | 1 | 70 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 243 workers across 3 notices. Notably, Healthcare reported 120 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 2 | 190 |
| Kenosha | 2 | 147 |
| Sheboygan | 1 | 90 |
| Monroe | 1 | 83 |
| Dodge | 1 | 70 |
Milwaukee felt the sharpest impact, accounting for 33% of all affected workers with 190 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | 2 | 147 |
| Milwaukee | 1 | 120 |
| Kohler | 1 | 90 |
| Sparta | 1 | 83 |
| Waupun | 1 | 70 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 420 |
The high proportion of closures (72% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Wisconsin's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Milwaukee Healthcare | Milwaukee | 120 | Closure | |
| Kohler | Kohler | 90 | ||
| CFS Brands | Sparta | 83 | Closure | |
| Chancery Pub and Restaurant | Kenosha | 77 | Closure | |
| Silgan Containers | Waupun | 70 | ||
| Transform KM | Kenosha | 70 | Closure | |
| Olameter DPG | Oak Creek | 70 | Closure | |
| Cerner | Beloit | 1 |
The most significant filing came from JB Milwaukee Healthcare at its Milwaukee facility, reporting 120 affected workers. Kohler followed with 90 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The numbers illustrate 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.