North Carolina Layoffs — February 2026
Employers in North Carolina submitted 11 WARN Act notices in February 2026, putting at risk an estimated 1,020 workers — down from January and up 41% versus February 2025. The average filing covered 93 workers, with 0 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & Insurance | 2 | 230 |
The Finance & Insurance sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 230 workers across 2 notices.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Wake | 4 | 359 |
| Iredell | 1 | 178 |
| Durham | 2 | 154 |
| Edgecombe | 1 | 123 |
| Pitt | 1 | 94 |
Wake saw the most concentrated activity, accounting for 35% of all affected workers with 359 workers across 4 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 3 | 305 |
| Mooresville | 1 | 178 |
| Durham | 2 | 154 |
| Tarboro | 1 | 123 |
| Greenville | 1 | 94 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 11 | 1,020 |
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowe's | Mooresville | 178 | Layoff | |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme | Durham | 147 | Layoff | |
| Corning | Tarboro | 123 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | Raleigh | 118 | Layoff | |
| Wells Fargo | Raleigh | 112 | Layoff | |
| Focus Services | Greenville | 94 | Layoff | |
| GMRI, Inc. dba Bahama Breeze | Raleigh | 75 | Layoff | |
| LTI Holdings Inc. DBA Boyd | Monroe | 63 | Layoff | |
| Avantor Fluid Handling | Morrisville | 54 | Layoff | |
| Lowe's | Charlotte | 49 | Layoff | |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme | Durham | 7 | Layoff |
Topping the list was Lowe's at its Mooresville facility, reporting 178 affected workers. Merck Sharp & Dohme followed with 147 workers.
Trend & Outlook
These figures highlight a mixed picture for North Carolina's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Finance & Insurance 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.