Kentucky Layoffs — May 2023
Employers in Kentucky filed 3 WARN Act notices in May 2023, impacting roughly 744 workers — representing a notable rise over April and up 1120% versus May 2022. The average filing covered 248 workers, with 1 closure among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 1 | 235 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 59 |
The Utilities sector led the way in workforce reductions with 235 workers across 1 notice. In a parallel development, Accommodation & Food reported 59 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 1 | 450 |
| Logan | 1 | 235 |
| Pike | 1 | 59 |
Fayette bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 60% of all affected workers with 450 workers across 1 notices.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 2 | 509 |
| Closure | 1 | 235 |
Closures accounted for 32% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encore ADHC | 450 | Layoff | ||
| Emerson Electric | 235 | Closure | ||
| Pikeville Medical Center | 59 | Layoff |
The single largest action involved Encore ADHC at its Kentucky facility, reporting 450 affected workers. Emerson Electric followed with 235 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores mounting pressure on the Kentucky labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Utilities sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Kentucky. 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 Kentucky WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.