Wisconsin Layoffs — April 2020
Employers in Wisconsin posted 41 WARN Act notices in April 2020, affecting an estimated 3,048 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to March and up 195% versus April 2019. The average filing covered 74 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 13 | 1,139 |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 1,092 |
| Government | 2 | 248 |
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 140 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 128 |
| Accommodation & Food | 2 | 76 |
| Transportation | 2 | 58 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 55 |
The Retail sector saw the heaviest impact with 1,139 workers across 13 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 1,092 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 3 | 509 |
| Sauk | 1 | 393 |
| Dane | 5 | 392 |
| Milwaukee | 6 | 293 |
| Manitowoc | 1 | 219 |
Brown absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 17% of all affected workers with 509 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Baraboo | 1 | 393 |
| Appleton | 2 | 384 |
| Milwaukee | 5 | 290 |
| Madison | 2 | 274 |
| Manitowoc | 1 | 219 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 6 | 650 |
| Layoff | 2 | 146 |
Closures accounted for 21% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSC Communications | Baraboo | 393 | ||
| Foot Locker | Appleton | 261 | ||
| Manitowoc-Two Rivers YMCA | Manitowoc | 219 | Closure | |
| Nordstrom | Madison | 218 | ||
| The Finish Line | Green Bay | 131 | ||
| Milwaukee Center for Independence | Milwaukee | 128 | ||
| Abercrombie & Fitch | Appleton | 123 | Closure | |
| Marquis Yachts | Pulaski | 117 | ||
| Sentry Services | Stevens Point | 112 | Closure | |
| Hutchinson Technology | Eau Claire | 110 | ||
| Visionworks | Kenosha | 97 | Closure | |
| Global Finishing Solutions | Osseo | 94 | ||
| Kohler Co. - Revision 1 | Kohler | 75 | Layoff | |
| Cascio Music Co. Inc. - Revision 1 | New Berlin | 71 | Layoff | |
| Ashley Furniture Industries | Whitehall | 70 |
The largest notice was filed by LSC Communications at its Baraboo facility, reporting 393 affected workers. Foot Locker followed with 261 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest 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.