Manufacturing companies in the U.S. sent notices to state governments about job cuts and closures all throughout October, with some of the largest job cuts in sectors such as automotive, medical devices and food.
Many of the WARN Act listings are set to begin in November, while other job cuts are expected to begin before or after the December holidays.
Some companies are working to streamline their operations and restructure their businesses, impacting hundreds of employees. Automotive supplier Dakkota Integrated Systems is shuttering its Detroit plant after it lost its Stellantis contract, cutting nearly 400 jobs, according to media reports.
Medical device maker Medline Industries is reducing its workforce at its Northfield, Illinois, facility, which will lay off 304 workers starting Nov. 17. The downsizing is “part of a broader effort to simplify how we operate, reduce complexity and position the company for long-term success,” Medline told the Chicago Tribune.
Automotive supplier Lear is shuttering its Sterling Heights facility in Michigan in July 2027 due to “market conditions.” The closure will cut 67 jobs.
The Ford supplier is also working to implement automation into its seating production in 2027. The site will serve as Lear’s “blueprint” to scale across its global manufacturing seating footprint and will have immediate impact financially, CEO Raymond Scott said during an Oct. 30 earnings call.
“We expect automation to reduce the conversion cost requirements by 10% to 15% — the more important story is what this represents strategically,” Scott said.
Major manufacturing companies also announced layoffs. 3M submitted a WARN Act letter on Oct. 19 announcing its plans to shutter its manufacturing facility in Fairmont, Minnesota.
The closure will lay off 62 workers and, according to the WARN letter, is expected to end operations by Dec. 31. The plant has been operational since 1946, according to the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Fairmont plant closure is part of 3M’s efforts to streamline its operations and cut costs. The company has closed or vacated 16 manufacturing and distribution facilities as of Oct. 20, with 10 more in the pipeline over the next 12 months, according to a Q3 presentation.
3M offloaded seven facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia after it completed the sale of its precision grinding and finishing business in Q2, according to a recent securities filing. While the segment was not a large business, it was a “big factory footprint,” Chairman and CEO Bill Brown said during a Q1 earnings call in April.
Some companies have issued notices for temporary layoffs or closures in December. Guitar maker Fender submitted a notification to the state of California that it was temporarily shuttering its factory in Corona beginning Dec. 14, impacting 533 jobs.
However, the temporary closure is during Fender’s standard holiday inventory “quiet weeks,” and the plant is expected to reopen after Dec. 31, the company said in an email. Additionally, employees may have the option to work.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen internal processes and improve transparency, we have taken an evolved and more proactive approach to formal notifications this year,” Fender said. “There has been no fundamental change in our annual operating practices.”
The list below comprises notices state governments posted or received throughout the month. Not included are revised notifications, temporary layoffs or closures, or job cuts below 50. Arkansas, New Hampshire and Wyoming do not publish their layoffs and closures notifications.
If you know of a closure or layoffs not listed in the table below, reach out to us at [email protected].
October manufacturing layoff and closure announcements
Correction: A previous version of this article said Medline was shuttering its Northfield, Illinois, facility. The company is cutting jobs at the plant, which will remain open.
