Layoffs across manufacturing, logistics, and transportation continue to build momentum as the US heads toward 2026, with more than 4,200 workers affected nationwide in just the past several weeks. The job losses stretch across food manufacturing, automotive, and EV supply chains, ports, warehousing, trailer production, and automated fulfillment, pointing to sustained pressure in industrial employment even as some freight indicators show signs of leveling out.
The single largest cut came in Kentucky, where Ford Motor Co. is laying off all 1,600 employees at its electric vehicle battery plant in Glendale. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company plans to convert the facility to manufacture batteries for data centers and other utilities, marking a significant pivot away from EV battery production. The plant is expected to resume production in a new form in 2027.
In the South and Southwest, Texas has seen more than 500 manufacturing and logistics jobs eliminated. Recent losses include the closure of an S&S Activewear distribution center affecting 146 workers, 105 layoffs at Yang Ming Corporation tied to Port Houston operations, and 84 jobs cut as LeeMAH Electronics shut down a Richardson manufacturing facility.
In neighboring Arizona, Franklin Foods will permanently close its Casa Grande cream cheese plant in February, leading to 83 layoffs tied to an anticipated sale of the company. The Midwest continues to feel the combined effects of EV retrenchment and a prolonged freight slowdown. Beyond the Ford layoffs in Kentucky, Ohio will see Michigan Sugar Co. close a warehouse in Findlay, citing rail service loss, truck-weight limits, and outdated equipment, affecting four logistics workers.
In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Pennsylvania has emerged as a major hotspot. Semi-trailer manufacturer Great Dane will cut about 164 jobs at its Elysburg plant due to weak freight demand. S&S Activewear is also closing a York County distribution center, eliminating 128 jobs, while Potato Chip Manufacturing LLC, known for Snyder of Berlin products, will shutter operations beginning in February, affecting 96 workers.
In New Jersey, Anheuser-Busch will close its Newark brewery in early 2026, cutting 151 jobs, while food startup Wonder will lay off 121 workers in Englewood. On the West Coast, California continues to post heavy losses. Swift Beef Co. will close a Riverside facility, eliminating 374 jobs, while Roseburg Forest Products shut down a veneer mill in Weed, cutting 140 positions. Additional closures include food production sites operated by Van Law Food Products and FreshRealm.
Tennessee has also been hit, with Kroger closing its Nashville automated fulfillment facility by February 2026, impacting 132 jobs, and automotive supplier JTEKT North America laying off 136 workers. “Why it matters for freight and logistics” is increasingly clear. Many of these layoffs reflect structural shifts rather than short-term slowdowns, including EV demand recalibration, pullbacks from automation, consolidation in food processing, and persistent weakness in trailer and freight equipment manufacturing. Together, they underscore continued strain on labor-intensive parts of the freight and logistics economy heading into 2026.
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