North Carolina Layoffs — January 2021
Employers in North Carolina posted 5 WARN Act notices in January 2021, affecting an estimated 557 workers — reflecting a cooling compared to December and down 45% versus January 2020. The average filing covered 111 workers, with 3 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 2 | 440 |
| Utilities | 2 | 73 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 44 |
The Education sector saw the heaviest impact with 440 workers across 2 notices. On a related front, Utilities reported 73 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pitt | 2 | 440 |
| Durham | 1 | 44 |
| Brunswick | 1 | 44 |
| Person | 1 | 29 |
Pitt was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 79% of all affected workers with 440 workers across 2 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 2 | 440 |
| Sanford | 1 | 44 |
| Southport | 1 | 44 |
| Roxboro | 1 | 29 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 440 |
| Closure | 3 | 117 |
Closures accounted for 21% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aramark at East Carolina University | Greenville | 433 | Layoff | |
| Ideal Industries Lighting | Sanford | 44 | Closure | |
| Capital Power Operations (USA) | Southport | 44 | Closure | |
| Capital Power Operations (USA) | Roxboro | 29 | Closure | |
| Aramark at East Carolina University | Greenville | 7 | Layoff |
The largest notice was filed by Aramark at East Carolina University at its Greenville facility, reporting 433 affected workers. Ideal Industries Lighting followed with 44 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The trends suggest a easing in workforce disruptions across North Carolina, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Education 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.