Layoffs across the manufacturing, logistics and transportation sectors continue to mount heading into 2026, affecting more than 4,200 workers nationwide over the last several weeks.
The job losses span food manufacturing, automotive and EV supply chains, trailer production, ports, warehousing and automated fulfillment networks — underscoring continued strain across industrial employment even as some freight indicators stabilize.
The largest mass layoffs included all 1,600 employees at a new Ford Motor Co. electric vehicle battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky. Ford plans to convert it to manufacture batteries for data centers and other utilities, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
South and Southwest: Manufacturing closures, logistics consolidation
Texas
Texas has seen more than 500 manufacturing- and logistics-related job losses in recent weeks, driven by a mix of distribution center closures, electronics manufacturing shutdowns and port-linked logistics cuts.
Key impacts include:
- S&S Activewear closing one of its Texas distribution centers, affecting 146 workers.
- Yang Ming Corporation, a container shipping company with operations tied to Port Houston, laying off 105 employees.
- LeeMAH Electronics shutting down a Richardson manufacturing facility, cutting 84 jobs.
Arizona
In Arizona, Franklin Foods will permanently close its Casa Grande cream cheese manufacturing facility in February, resulting in 83 layoffs, according to WARN filings. The closure is tied to an expected sale of the company.
Midwest: EV retrenchment and freight recession fallout
Kentucky
The single largest layoff in the roundup comes from Kentucky, where Ford will lay off all 1,600 employees at its battery plant in Glendale as it pivots away from EV battery production. The facility is expected to be converted to manufacture battery energy-storage systems, with production anticipated to start in 2027.
Ohio
Michigan Sugar Co. will close a warehouse facility in Findlay, citing the loss of rail service, truck-weight restrictions and obsolete equipment. The closure affects four logistics workers.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Trailer manufacturing, food processing, breweries
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has emerged as a hotspot for industrial layoffs:
- Great Dane, a major semi-trailer manufacturer, will cut approximately 164 jobs at its Elysburg plant, citing weak freight demand and prolonged market softness .
- S&S Activewear will close a York County distribution center, eliminating 128 jobs.
- Potato Chip Manufacturing LLC (Snyder of Berlin) will shutter operations beginning in February, resulting in 96 layoffs.
New Jersey
- Anheuser-Busch will close its Newark brewery in early 2026, cutting 151 jobs as the property is sold to Goodman Group.
- Wonder, a food-production and delivery startup, will lay off 121 workers at a production site in Englewood as it realigns operations.
West Coast: Food, forestry and industrial manufacturing hit hard
California
California continues to see heavy losses in food processing and industrial manufacturing:
- Swift Beef Co. will permanently close a Riverside facility, eliminating 374 jobs, citing tight cattle supplies and rising costs.
- Van Law Food Products announced 50 permanent layoffs at its Fullerton plant.
- FreshRealm, a food production/meal kit company, will close a San Clemente facility, cutting 53 jobs.
- Roseburg Forest Products shut down a veneer mill in Weed, California, resulting in 140 layoffs.
Tennessee
- Kroger is closing its Nashville automated fulfillment facility by February 2026, impacting 132 logistics jobs as it shifts away from large-scale automation.
- JTEKT North America will permanently close a manufacturing operation, laying off 136 workers. The company, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, is an automotive supplier.
Why it matters for freight and logistics
Many of the layoffs could reflect structural shifts rather than short-term volume declines — including EV demand recalibration, automation pullbacks, food-processing consolidation and prolonged weakness in trailer and freight equipment manufacturing.
For the freight industry, the trend highlights continued pressure on labor-intensive operations tied to manufacturing output, warehouse utilization and long-haul freight demand heading into 2026.
