South Carolina Layoffs — May 2022
Employers in South Carolina filed 4 WARN Act notices in May 2022, impacting roughly 466 workers — representing a notable rise over April and down 52% versus May 2021. The average filing covered 116 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 270 |
| Information & Technology | 1 | 161 |
| Finance & Insurance | 1 | 35 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 270 workers across 2 notices. In a parallel development, Information & Technology reported 161 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 1 | 177 |
| Horry | 1 | 161 |
| Aiken | 1 | 93 |
| Richland | 1 | 35 |
Charleston absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 38% of all affected workers with 177 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 2 | 196 |
| North Charleston | 1 | 177 |
| Aiken | 1 | 93 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 270 |
| Layoff | 2 | 196 |
The high proportion of closures (58% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in South Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borden Dairy | North Charleston | 177 | Closure | |
| Startek | Columbia | 161 | Layoff | |
| Avara Pharmaceutical Services | Aiken | 93 | Closure | |
| FirstBank/Real Genius | Columbia | 35 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Borden Dairy at its North Charleston facility, reporting 177 affected workers. Startek followed with 161 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The data underscores a mixed picture for South Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by South 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 South Carolina WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.