Minnesota Layoffs — December 2023
Employers in Minnesota reported 13 WARN Act notices in December 2023, displacing an estimated 214 workers — signaling an acceleration from November and up 48% versus December 2022. The average filing covered 16 workers, with 10 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1 | 75 |
| Healthcare | 3 | 59 |
| Government | 2 | 36 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 27 |
| Retail | 3 | 17 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 75 workers across 1 notice. Notably, Healthcare reported 59 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | 1 | 75 |
| Dakota | 1 | 57 |
| Nicollet | 1 | 35 |
| Anoka | 3 | 28 |
| Blue Earth | 1 | 13 |
Houston saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 75 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Grove | 1 | 75 |
| Mendota Heights | 1 | 57 |
| Marshall | 1 | 35 |
| Minneapolis | 3 | 28 |
| Mankato | 1 | 13 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 10 | 47 |
Closures accounted for 22% of affected workers, while the majority of filings were layoffs rather than permanent shutdowns.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Engraving | Spring Grove | 75 | ||
| Elevance Health | Mendota Heights | 57 | ||
| Yelloh | Marshall | 35 | ||
| Lakes & Legends | Minneapolis | 24 | Closure | |
| Petco | Mankato | 13 | Closure | |
| Curly Girl Boutique | Minneapolis | 3 | Closure | |
| Zumbro Cafe | Minneapolis | 1 | Closure | |
| Smile Direct Club | Minnetonka | 1 | Closure | |
| Tulips & Truffles Florist | Rochester | 1 | Closure | |
| Pottery Barn | St. Paul | 1 | Closure | |
| Applebee's | Baxter | 1 | Closure | |
| Crookston Inn | Crookston | 1 | Closure | |
| NorthStar Orthodontics | Park Rapids | 1 | Closure |
The most significant filing came from Northern Engraving at its Spring Grove facility, reporting 75 affected workers. Elevance Health followed with 57 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the Minnesota 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 Minnesota. 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 Minnesota WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.