Alabama Layoffs — September 2020
Employers in Alabama reported 2 WARN Act notices in September 2020, displacing an estimated 637 workers — signaling an acceleration from 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 topped the list of affected industries with 550 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Utilities reported 87 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Colbert | 1 | 550 |
| Washington | 1 | 87 |
Colbert felt the sharpest impact, 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 most significant filing came from 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 numbers illustrate 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.