North Carolina Layoffs — August 2020

Employers in North Carolina submitted 19 WARN Act notices in August 2020, putting at risk an estimated 2,308 workers — down from July and up 215% versus August 2019. The average filing covered 121 workers, with 6 closures among the notices.

Industry Breakdown

The Professional Services sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 1,248 workers across 3 notices. Separately, Manufacturing reported 675 workers.

Geographic Hotspots

Durham bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 52% of all affected workers with 1,200 workers across 2 notices.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 26% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.

Largest Layoffs

Topping the list was RTI International at its Durham facility, reporting 1,152 affected workers. Goldsboro Milling followed with 350 workers.

Trend & Outlook

These figures highlight a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Professional Services 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.