3.4K Kentucky workers were part of layoffs this year. What protections do they have?
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- WARN Act mandates 60-day notice for large layoffs or closures by big employers
- Kentucky lacks a state WARN law, leaving federal rules as sole layoff safeguard
- Unemployment rate fell in August 2025 as job seekers exited labor force
More than 3,400 employees have lost their jobs to layoffs and business closures in Kentucky this year, according to company notices required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
The latest of those includes workers in Georgetown making adjustable bed bases for Leggett & Platt, as the company plans to eliminate about 122 positions there beginning in November.
Enacted in 1988, the federal WARN Act generally requires larger employers to give workers advance notice of plant closures and mass layoffs.
“The idea is that, if there is a mass layoff, employees will be provided some notice so that they can start looking for other opportunities,” Kelly Mulloy Myers, a Cincinnati-based labor law attorney licensed to practice in Ohio and Kentucky, told the Herald-Leader in an interview.
According to Myers, while several states have their own mini-WARN Acts — often applying to smaller employers and/or requiring more advanced notice — Kentucky does not. Ohio’s own WARN Act, tucked into a state budget bill, is set to go into effect later this month.
Kentucky’s unemployment rate stood at 4.7% in August, down slightly from where it stood in July, but it’s not due to more people finding work. It’s largely due to a stagnant job market, as University of Kentucky economist Mike Clark recently outlined in the state’s unemployment report, released Sept. 18.
“Kentucky’s unemployment rate decreased in August, but the decrease was not due to more people finding work,” Clark said. “Over the past three months, we have been seeing people exit the labor market. These exits have mostly occurred among those who were unemployed and searching for a job. When unemployed workers leave the labor force, the unemployment rate can fall. The number of people reporting that they were employed changed little over the past two months.”
Here’s what Kentucky workers should know about the WARN Act, including what it requires of employers.
How many Kentuckians have lost their jobs in 2025 so far?
A total of 3,441 Kentucky workers have lost their jobs to plant closures or company layoffs as of Sept. 17, according to WARN notices. We’ve compiled the full list of companies in this spreadsheet.
Some of the most recent layoff and plant closure plans include the following companies.
September:
- Leggett & Platt in Scott County is eliminating 100 positions
August:
- Kentucky Cooperage in Marion County is eliminating 112 positions
- AHF Products Manufacturing in Pulaski County is eliminating 134 positions
- Russellville Engineered Casting in Logan County is eliminating 102 positions
- CVS Med Care Pharmacy in Boone County is eliminating 77 positions
July:
- Battelle Memorial Institute E3 in Madison County is eliminating 61 positions
- Omniplex World Services in Boone County is eliminating nine positions
- Constellis in Boone County is eliminating one position
- Omniplex World Services in Boone County is eliminating 41 positions
- Omniplex World Services in Boone County is eliminating 22 positions
- Pearl Interactive in Clark County is eliminating 342 positions
- Parsons Corporation in Madison County is eliminating 21 positions
What is the WARN Act and what does it require?
The WARN Act generally requires employers to provide written notice at least 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and mass layoffs, as explained by a U.S. Department of Labor guide to the law for employers.
The law applies to businesses with 100 or more full-time workers, not counting part-time workers or those who have been on the job less than six months. Part-time workers may not be included in the count, but they are entitled to a WARN Act notice if there is one.
The labor guide defines “mass layoff” as separate from plant closures. Mass layoffs are workforce reductions at a single site of employment within a 30-day period that meet one of the following requirements:
1. At least 50 to 499 affected employees if they represent at least 33% of the total active workforce. Part-time employees are not included.
2. 500 or more employees, also excluding any part-time employees. The 33% rule doesn’t apply in this case.
Separately, a plant closing encompasses either a permanent or temporary shutdown of a single site of employment or one or more facilities at a site where 50 or more employees lose their jobs within a 30-day period. All of the job losses don’t have to occur within a single unit for it to qualify as a plant closure.
After a WARN notice is filed, the state’s Rapid Response team coordinates with the employer to provide on-site resources and information about training and employment opportunities. This could include help with job searches, on-the-job training and similar services.
How to apply for unemployment insurance in Kentucky
According to the Kentucky Career Center, which is the state’s hub for employment services, unemployment insurance benefits are meant for individuals who “lose their job through no fault of their own,” including due to layoffs or downsizing.
If workers voluntarily quit or were terminated for misconduct, they may be denied benefits.
Generally, to be eligible for benefits, employees must:
- Be unemployed or working less than full-time
- Have earned enough money to establish a valid claim
- Be unemployed through no fault of their own
- Be able to work, available for work and looking for work
The employee’s full rights and responsibilities are laid out in Kentucky’s claimant guide.
To start an unemployment insurance claim, workers can apply online at the Kentucky Career Center’s website at the listed hours or call 502-564-2900.
Do you have a question about business in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.