South Carolina Layoffs — May 2020
Employers in South Carolina posted 12 WARN Act notices in May 2020, affecting an estimated 713 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to April and up 579% versus May 2019. The average filing covered 59 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3 | 206 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 153 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 206 workers across 3 notices. On a related front, Accommodation & Food reported 153 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 3 | 204 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 130 |
| Marlboro | 1 | 126 |
| Aiken | 1 | 97 |
| Darlington | 1 | 75 |
Charleston absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 29% of all affected workers with 204 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 2 | 203 |
| Georgetown | 1 | 130 |
| Bennettsville | 1 | 126 |
| North Augusta | 1 | 97 |
| Darlington | 1 | 75 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 10 | 586 |
| Closure | 2 | 127 |
Closures accounted for 18% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Bennett | Charleston | 153 | Layoff | |
| Liberty Steel Georgetown | Georgetown | 130 | Layoff | |
| Arauco | Bennettsville | 126 | Closure | |
| Ttx | North Augusta | 97 | Layoff | |
| Cox Automotive | Darlington | 75 | Layoff | |
| King Charles Inn | Charleston | 50 | Layoff | |
| John Manville | Spartanburg | 30 | Layoff | |
| Southern Specialty Finance | 26 | Layoff | ||
| Kravet | Anderson | 21 | Layoff | |
| Asbury dba Lexus of Greenville | Greenville | 2 | Layoff | |
| Asbury dba JLPV of Greenville | Greenville | 2 | Layoff | |
| WestRock | North Charleston | 1 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Hotel Bennett at its Charleston facility, reporting 153 affected workers. Liberty Steel Georgetown followed with 130 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a mixed picture for South 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 South 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 South Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.