South Carolina Layoffs — May 2023
Employers in South Carolina recorded 6 WARN Act notices in May 2023, covering approximately 989 workers — marking a sharp increase from April and up 112% versus May 2022. The average filing covered 165 workers, with 5 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2 | 773 |
| Construction | 2 | 113 |
| Accommodation & Food | 1 | 90 |
The Manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share of job cuts with 773 workers across 2 notices. At the same time, Construction reported 113 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 1 | 499 |
| Berkeley | 3 | 387 |
| Dorchester | 1 | 90 |
| Beaufort | 1 | 13 |
Charleston absorbed the greatest share of layoffs, accounting for 50% of all affected workers with 499 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 1 | 499 |
| Goose Creek | 3 | 387 |
| Newberry | 1 | 90 |
| Beaufort | 1 | 13 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 5 | 984 |
The high proportion of closures (99% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in South Carolina's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestRock Services | Charleston | 499 | Closure | |
| BD (C.R. Bard Inc.) | Goose Creek | 274 | Closure | |
| Nielsen & Bainbridge | Goose Creek | 108 | Closure | |
| Sodexo | Newberry | 90 | Closure | |
| Transdev Fleet Services (First Vehicle Services) | Beaufort | 13 | Closure | |
| Nielsen & Bainbridge | Goose Creek | 5 |
Leading the list was WestRock Services at its Charleston facility, reporting 499 affected workers. BD (C.R. Bard Inc.) followed with 274 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The filings reflect mounting pressure on the South Carolina labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. 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.