North Carolina Layoffs — May 2020
Employers in North Carolina recorded 13 WARN Act notices in May 2020, covering approximately 1,199 workers — marking a decline from April and up 389% versus May 2019. The average filing covered 92 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9 | 831 |
| Accommodation & Food | 3 | 283 |
| Transportation | 1 | 85 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 831 workers across 9 notices. At the same time, Accommodation & Food reported 283 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Iredell | 1 | 279 |
| Sampson | 1 | 146 |
| Guilford | 1 | 144 |
| Durham | 1 | 124 |
| Johnston | 1 | 123 |
Iredell was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 23% of all affected workers with 279 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 5 | 506 |
| Garland | 1 | 146 |
| Slane | 1 | 144 |
| Durham | 1 | 124 |
| Raleigh | 1 | 94 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 12 | 1,053 |
| Closure | 1 | 146 |
Closures accounted for 12% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Automotive COVID19 | Charlotte | 279 | Layoff | |
| Brooks Brothers Group Inc. DBA Garland Shirt Factory COVID19 | Garland | 146 | Closure | |
| Slane Hosiery Mills COVID19 | Slane | 144 | Layoff | |
| 21c Museum Hotel COVID19 | Durham | 124 | Layoff | |
| Cox Automotive COVID19 | Charlotte | 123 | Layoff | |
| Pyramid Raleigh Management, LLC DBA Hilton Raleigh North Hills COVID19 | Raleigh | 94 | Layoff | |
| Brp US Inc. Covid19 | 88 | Layoff | ||
| Norfolk Southern Railway Co. - Linwood Terminal COVID19 | Linwood | 85 | Layoff | |
| Charlotte Management LLC, DBA Sheraton/Le Meridien Charlotte COVID19 | Charlotte | 65 | Layoff | |
| PolyOne Corporation COVID19 | Charlotte | 34 | Layoff | |
| VSM-Rostra, LLC COVID19 | Southern Pines | 8 | Layoff | |
| Franklin Products Inc. COVID19 | Charlotte | 5 | Layoff | |
| PolyOne Corporation COVID19 | Avon Lake | 4 | Layoff |
Leading the list was Cox Automotive COVID19 at its Charlotte facility, reporting 279 affected workers. Brooks Brothers Group Inc. DBA Garland Shirt Factory COVID19 followed with 146 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The filings reflect a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing 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.