North Carolina Layoffs — February 2020
Employers in North Carolina submitted 13 WARN Act notices in February 2020, putting at risk an estimated 931 workers — down from January and up 129% versus February 2019. The average filing covered 72 workers, with 7 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 4 | 351 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 153 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 130 |
| Real Estate | 2 | 115 |
| Transportation | 2 | 75 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 55 |
The Retail sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 351 workers across 4 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 153 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wake | 4 | 326 |
| Henderson | 1 | 116 |
| Buncombe | 1 | 104 |
| Rowan | 1 | 88 |
| Mecklenburg | 2 | 75 |
Wake saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 326 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 8 | 508 |
| Asheville | 2 | 220 |
| Salisbury | 1 | 88 |
| Hickory | 1 | 65 |
| Jacksonville | 1 | 50 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 7 | 556 |
| Layoff | 6 | 375 |
The high proportion of closures (60% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in North Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Healthcare | Charlotte | 130 | Layoff | |
| Earth Fare | Asheville | 116 | Closure | |
| Earth Fare | Asheville | 104 | Closure | |
| Plaza Associates | Charlotte | 100 | Layoff | |
| Parkdale Plant 23 | Salisbury | 88 | Closure | |
| JCPenney | Charlotte | 81 | Closure | |
| Hickory Springs Mfg | Hickory | 65 | Closure | |
| Mundy Service | Charlotte | 55 | Layoff | |
| Cwi | Charlotte | 52 | Closure | |
| Express Parcel Service | Charlotte | 51 | Layoff | |
| PAE - Marine Depot Maintenance Command | Jacksonville | 50 | Closure | |
| Delivery Force | Charlotte | 24 | Layoff | |
| Plaza Associates | Charlotte | 15 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Liberty Healthcare at its Charlotte facility, reporting 130 affected workers. Earth Fare followed with 116 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight a mixed picture for North Carolina'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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.