SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds of workers in the Bexar County area have been affected by layoffs throughout 2024.
According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act Notices, more than 880 workers in Bexar County have been affected by layoffs this year.
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“Under certain circumstances, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires businesses to provide notice 60 days in advance of plant closures or mass layoffs. The WARN Act is intended to offer protection to workers, their families and communities,” according to the Texas Workforce Commission website.
The companies with the layoffs include the following:
- 176 from ABM Industries, Inc. Flowers Baking Company on March 2, 2024
- 138 from BIMBO Bakeries USA, Inc. on Oct. 5, 2024 (Upcoming)
- 108 from Joyson Safety Systems June 1, 2024
- 100 from all 99 Cents Only Stores in the Bexar County area on June 3, 2024
- 73 from Kroger Fulfillment Network LLC-San Antonio on March 25, 2024
- 65 from WFS Express, Inc. Kelley Field on April 10, 2024
- 60 from Technica Corporation on Feb. 15, 2024
- 57 from Quality Custom Distribution on Sept. 27, 2024 (Upcoming)
- 57 from HII Mission Technologies (HII Defense and Federal Solutions) on July 31, 2024
- 50 from Coach USA (Kerrville Bus Company) on Sept. 3, 2024 (Upcoming)
In total, 884 workers were affected by companies that submitted WARN Act notices.
How do these layoffs affect the local economy?
David McPherson, Economics Department chair with Trinity University, said that while the most recent mass layoffs notice with Bimbo is “big for this year,” it’s “small relative to the total size of the workforce in San Antonio. So you’re not going to have a big impact on the economy. It’s going to affect these workers.”
James Keith, director of Public and Government Relations for Workforce Solutions Alamo, said that while the layoff was considerable, “The economy here is doing pretty good.”
The latest figures show the unemployment rate for Bexar County is 4.2%, up from 3.5% last month. In June 2023, the unemployment rate was 3.8%.
“Whenever you look at it on a larger scale across the nation, we are actually doing better than most other places,” Keith said. “We are concerned anytime a company lays off anyone, especially in this magnitude, where we saw over 100 people lose their jobs. But we want to give people some hope and let them know that we do have these centers.”
Resources for those affected by layoffs
Keith said Workforce Solutions offers resources to those who lost their jobs due to layoffs.
“We do want to give those people affected some hope. We operate career centers all across the area, and our goal with these centers is to get people back to work,” he said. “They may not be able to go back into the exact industry that they were laid off from, but we are able to provide training and resources that can help them get back to work.”
While some companies in manufacturing have closed their doors, other sectors are growing in the area, according to Keith.
“We are seeing huge growth in the construction industry. There are companies that are expanding in this area,” he said. “If you look at Toyota, JCB, we are seeing more industries still coming into our area now. It may not be the industry that these people are being laid off from, but we are still seeing jobs opening up here and opportunities for people who are interested in transitioning into those fields.”
Keith said the transition to a new career depends on the industry and the specific situation a person needs.
“We want to interview those folks, figure out what skills they have. ‘Are there transferable skills that can go into another industry?’ And then, in situations where they do need training, we are able to customize that training for them and hopefully get them back in a position where they are collecting a paycheck,” Keith said. “Our training programs vary based on what industry they’re transitioning into. It could be a matter of a couple of weeks, or it could be a couple of months.”
Find more information on Workforce Solutions Alamo here.
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