Charlotte and nearby region see spike in layoffs with more than 1,150 jobs cut
Although the Charlotte region is seeing an influx of job creations through corporate relocations and expansions, layoffs are still occurring.
Since Jan. 1, more than 1,150 people have been laid off throughout the Charlotte area, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices filed to the state’s Department of Commerce.
That amounts to about 31% of the state’s layoffs this year, which is over 3,720.
Layoffs this year have increased almost 65% in the Charlotte area compared to last year, which saw about 702 layoffs from January to mid-April.
The state overall is seeing about a 67% increase in layoffs from last year within the same time period, jumping from 2,225 to 3,722, according to the WARN notices.
Charlotte layoffs
For the Charlotte region, four companies have each laid off more than 100 people in the past few months:
Family Dollar announced in March that it will close its Matthews distribution center, resulting in 373 layoffs. The center’s closure ends Family Dollar’s distribution operations in the state, which started almost 70 years ago. The layoff is the second-largest closure for the state this year.
Lowe’s announced a massive layoff in February of about 600 people company-wide. Locally, the home improvement company will cut 178 jobs at its corporate headquarters at 1000 Lowe’s Blvd. in Mooresville and 49 positions at the Lowe’s Technology Hub in South End at 100 W. Worthington Ave., Charlotte. That’s a total of 227 people.
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AmeriPark and Republic Parking will no longer manage parking operations at Charlotte Douglas Airport. As a result of the lost contract, 188 people will be laid off. However, the replacement company, ACE Parking, may hire some of the impacted employees.
Parkdale Mills, a century-old yarn manufacturer based in Gastonia, announced two layoffs and facility closures this year. In January, the manufacturer said it would shutter its Stokes County facility, laying off 72 employees. In April, Parkdale said it would also close its Davidson County facility, laying off 68 workers. That’s a total of 140 people.
The largest layoff announced in North Carolina this year is Thermo Fisher Scientific, which plans to cut 423 positions in Buncombe County over the next two years. It’s the biggest employer and taxpayer in Weaverville.
