Wisconsin Layoffs — August 2020
Employers in Wisconsin posted 11 WARN Act notices in August 2020, affecting an estimated 881 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to July and up 131% versus August 2019. The average filing covered 80 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 370 |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 271 |
| Transportation | 2 | 184 |
| Retail | 1 | 56 |
The Accommodation & Food sector saw the heaviest impact with 370 workers across 4 notices. On a related front, Manufacturing reported 271 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 3 | 288 |
| Waukesha | 2 | 154 |
| Dane | 2 | 131 |
| Washington | 1 | 102 |
| Eau Claire | 1 | 98 |
Milwaukee was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 33% of all affected workers with 288 workers across 3 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 3 | 288 |
| Madison | 2 | 131 |
| Hartford | 1 | 102 |
| Sussex | 1 | 98 |
| Eau Claire | 1 | 98 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 311 |
Closures accounted for 35% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pfister Hotel | Milwaukee | 128 | ||
| Saint Kate | Milwaukee | 111 | ||
| Helgeson | Hartford | 102 | ||
| Courier Distribution Systems | Sussex | 98 | ||
| Phillips Medisize | Eau Claire | 98 | Closure | |
| APL Logistics Warehouse Management Services | Pleasant Prairie | 86 | Closure | |
| Aramark at the Fluno Center - Revision 1 | Madison | 71 | ||
| Aramark | Madison | 60 | ||
| Fresh Thyme | Menomonee Falls | 56 | Closure | |
| Pereles Brothers | Milwaukee | 49 | Closure | |
| Stellar Mold & Tool | Galesville | 22 | Closure |
The largest notice was filed by Pfister Hotel at its Milwaukee facility, reporting 128 affected workers. Saint Kate followed with 111 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This is the third consecutive month of declining layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for Wisconsin's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Accommodation & Food 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.