248 Wisconsin Workers Named In May Layoff Notices: WARN Roundup

MADISON, WI — Wisconsin employers filed several new layoff and closure notices in May, affecting workers in food service, manufacturing, health care, technology and trucking.

At least 248 workers were named in the filings, which included planned job cuts in Kenosha, Oak Creek, Racine and Wisconsin Rapids, along with remote workers living in Wisconsin.

The notices were filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, which posts layoff notices submitted under state and federal law.

DWD says the notices it receives do not represent a complete list of all layoffs in the state. Not every layoff requires a written notice, and the number of workers ultimately affected can change.

Wisconsin’s job market overall remains relatively strong, with the state’s unemployment rate at 3.5 percent in April, below the national rate of 4.3 percent, according to state labor officials.

Here are the May notices:

Parkhurst Dining, Kenosha

Parkhurst Dining plans to permanently shut down operations at its Carthage College site at 2001 Alford Park Drive in Kenosha.

The closure is tied to the end of the company's contract with Carthage College, according to the notice.

The company said operations at the site will end July 3. Employee separations were scheduled for May 21 through May 27, or June 3.

The notice lists about 160 affected employees, including cooks, cashiers, baristas, dishwashers, supervisors, catering staff and other food service workers.

Henkel, Oak Creek

Henkel US Operations Corp. plans to shut down operations at its facility at 420 W. Marquette Ave. in Oak Creek.

The company said operations at the facility will shut down on or about Sept. 28, and the facility will close around Feb. 28, 2027.

The first separations are expected June 30.

The notice lists 57 affected positions, including mixing operators, group leads, maintenance workers, warehouse associates and quality specialists.

Cree Lighting, Racine

Cree Lighting expects additional permanent layoffs at its Racine facility at 9201 Washington Ave.

The company said 28 employee positions will be permanently eliminated, with separations beginning May 15.

The affected jobs include assemblers, machine operators, customer service workers, shipping workers, engineering technicians and other positions.

UnityPoint Health, Remote Workers

UnityPoint Health said three remote employees living in Wisconsin are expected to be affected by a layoff tied to the company's transition of some IT services to a third-party partner.

The notice said 23 remote workers across Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois declined offers from the third-party partner and chose to stay with UnityPoint until their permanent separations.

The three Wisconsin workers are expected to separate Aug. 7.

Sparhawk Trucking And Sparhawk Truck And Trailer, Wisconsin Rapids

Sparhawk Trucking Inc. and Sparhawk Truck and Trailer Inc. filed a notice warning of a possible business closing or mass layoff.

The companies are debtors in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, according to the notice. The trustee said the companies were continuing to operate, but warned that a closure or mass layoff could happen if a suitable buyer is not found or if a buyer does not hire substantially all employees.

The notice did not list a specific number of affected workers or a specific layoff date.

What WARN Notices Mean

In some cases, federal or state law requires companies laying off workers in Wisconsin to provide advance written notice to the Department of Workforce Development.

Those notices are intended to give the state time to provide rapid-response services to affected workers and businesses. That can include pre-layoff information sessions, resume help, job-search assistance, job fairs and referrals to Wisconsin Job Center resources.