Companies in North Carolina reported more than 3,000 layoffs planned for this year, according to the state. But new job announcements and open jobs far outweigh the number of people getting laid off.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has announced more than 21,000 jobs so far this year, though some of those will take a couple of years to come online. In the same time frame, the department has received notice of 3,042 layoffs from companies all over the state.

What You Need To Know

  • Companies have filed notices for more than 3,000 layoffs in North Carolina so far in 2022

  • The state has announced more than 21,000 new jobs since the beginning of the year, with many of those in manufacturing

  • Unemployment remains low, at 3.7% in July, and many companies still have a shortage of staff

  • Local governments and economic development groups are working with people who do get laid off to find new jobs

The biggest plant closure announced in North Carolina this year is DENSO Manufacturing in Greenville, where the company is laying off 475 people, according to a notice filed with the state. DENSO makes small motors at the Greenville plant and on the other side of the state in Statesville.

Most of those jobs are moving to DENSO’s facility in Statesville, according to Uconda Dunn with the Greenville – Eastern North Carolina Alliance.

“We are working on specific career day fairs for just DENSO operations. We have several manufacturers in the area, several within a quarter mile of that location, that are hiring,” Dunn said. “DENSO has been a great corporate partner in this community.”

When big companies plan to lay off more than 50 workers, they are required to file Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications, also known as WARN notices, with the state Department of Commerce.

 

 

Last year, companies filed WARN notices affecting about 5,600 workers in North Carolina. That number, however, is higher than expected. Almost 2,000 workers were told they would be laid off after a massive fire at the QVC distribution center in Rocky Mount. The company filed that notice on Dec. 29.

In 2020, WARN notices reported more than 31,000 layoffs in North Carolina as the COVID pandemic shut down the economy.

But big new job announcements in North Carolina seem to come every week or so. Toyota is building a new battery plant in the Triad and expects to add 1,750 jobs when it opens in 2025. Boom Supersonic plans to add another 1,750 jobs in the coming years as it builds next generation supersonic jets at the Piedmont-Triad International Airport.

There have been dozens of other smaller jobs announcements this year, adding tens or hundreds of jobs each.

“Global companies see the opportunities for success with our strong manufacturing economy, the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, and an excellent East Coast location,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news release Tuesday, announcing 37 more jobs with a plastics manufacturer in Davidson County.

 

July’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in North Carolina, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There’s a labor shortage in North Carolina and around the country, making it a very friendly market for workers.

On Aug. 23, the governor announced 251 more jobs in Wilson County. Biotech company ABEC, Inc. plans to invest $11 million in the City of Wilson for a new manufacturing facility, according to the governor’s office.

"North Carolina’s deliberate focus to develop a workforce for the biotechnology industry continues to pay off in choices like ABEC’s decision,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Sanders said in a news release. “We will continue to invest in education and specialized training programs that make our state the number one place to do business in the country.”