Alabama Layoffs — September 2020
Employers in Alabama posted 2 WARN Act notices in September 2020, affecting an estimated 637 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to August and up 225% versus September 2019. The average filing covered 318 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 1 | 550 |
| Utilities | 1 | 87 |
The Transportation sector saw the heaviest impact with 550 workers across 1 notice. On a related front, Utilities reported 87 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Colbert | 1 | 550 |
| Washington | 1 | 87 |
Colbert bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 86% of all affected workers with 550 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee | 1 | 550 |
| Leroy | 1 | 87 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 1 | 550 |
| Layoff | 1 | 87 |
The high proportion of closures (86% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Alabama's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreightCar America | Cherokee | 550 | Closure | |
| PowerSouth Energy COOP | Leroy | 87 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by FreightCar America at its Cherokee facility, reporting 550 affected workers. PowerSouth Energy COOP followed with 87 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The trends suggest mounting pressure on the Alabama labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Transportation sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Alabama. 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 Alabama WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.