National and State-Level Employment Crisis

Nationwide Job Losses Surge in 2025

The Administration touts a "rosy" economy, citing the stock market as proof. While that might be good news for the wealthy, the job market reveals the true state of affairs for working families.

A severe economic downturn has taken hold across the United States in 2025, marked by a dramatic rise in job losses. According to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S.-based employers have announced more than 1.17 million job cuts so far this year—the highest level of layoffs since the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 [Layoffs so far in 2025 highest...]. This represents a 54% increase compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring a rapidly deteriorating labor market ['Forever layoffs' hit a recess...]. The November 2025 report alone detailed 71,321 job cuts, continuing a trend driven by economic instability, cost-cutting measures, and corporate restructuring [71321 Job Cuts on Restructurin...]. These nationwide job losses are not isolated incidents but signs of systemic economic challenges affecting workers in every sector and region.

The Closure of Tyson’s Lexington Plant: A Devastating Blow to a Single-Employer Town

One of the most impactful single-site layoffs in 2025 occurred in Lexington, Nebraska, where Tyson Foods announced the closure of its beef processing plant, eliminating approximately 3,200 jobs [Nebraskans lament Tyson decisi...]. The plant, one of the largest employers in the region, supported a city of just 11,000 residents, making this closure an existential economic threat to the community [Tyson's beef plant closure in ...]. Tyson attributed the shutdown to record-high cattle costs, which rose by nearly $2 billion in fiscal year 2025, and a projected $600 million loss in its beef division [Understanding the Tyson Lexing...].

The decision has triggered widespread criticism. Local leaders, workers, and union representatives have condemned the closure, noting that Tyson’s profits in the beef packing sector actually surged following the announcement ['The impact is real and devast...]. The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) issued a statement criticizing the decision and warning of significant ripple effects across cattle producers, ranchers, and supply chain workers nationwide [UFCW Statement on Closure of L...]. State and local agencies have begun mobilizing assistance programs, with over 740 former Tyson workers already enrolled in unemployment and retraining services [Over 740 Tyson workers turn to...]. This case exemplifies how mass layoffs in critical industries can devastate entire communities, especially those dependent on a single employer.

Policy Failures and Missed Opportunities in Workforce Protection

Despite the increasing frequency and scale of mass layoffs, federal policy remains insufficient to protect communities from economic collapse triggered by corporate restructuring. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days’ notice before a plant closure or mass layoff affecting 50 or more workers [Worker Adjustment and Retraini...]. However, this federal law does not restrict the percentage of employees that can be laid off at one location, only mandating notification.

In contrast, several states have enacted stronger “mini-WARN” laws. For example, Washington’s new mini-WARN Act, effective July 27, 2025, lowers notice thresholds and removes the single-site limitation, offering broader protections to workers [Washington's Mini-WARN Act Goe...]. California also recently strengthened its WARN Act with SB 617, signed into law on October 1, 2025, expanding notice requirements and closing loopholes exploited by corporations [End of California's 2025 Sessi...]. Notably, California and Washington employ thresholds based on percentages of the workforce. Under these laws, layoffs affecting more than 33% of employees at a worksite can trigger enhanced notification and mitigation obligations, even if the absolute number of workers affected is below federal thresholds [5525-S.E HBR APH 25].

A proposed national policy reform would adopt a similar percentage-based cap: restricting corporations from laying off more than 33% of employees at any single location without prior government review and mandatory economic impact mitigation. Such a policy would prevent abrupt closures in vulnerable communities like Lexington and Florence County and compel employers to consider long-term economic consequences alongside short-term financial decisions.

South Carolina’s Manufacturing Sector Faces Mounting Challenges

South Carolina, a state historically reliant on manufacturing and global trade, is facing a sharp decline in industrial employment in 2025. Multiple factories across the state have shut down or reduced operations due to market volatility, supply chain disruptions, and federal policy uncertainty.

Recent WARN notices reveal a pattern of layoffs:

• PL Developments, a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Piedmont, laid off 114 workers by October 2025 [PL Developments laying off emp...].

• Queen City Plastics in Fort Mill eliminated 42 jobs due to operational cuts [Queen City Plastics to lose 42...].

• A manufacturing facility in Gaston County is expected to lay off 296 workers by year-end [Nearly 300 layoffs coming with...].

Even larger employers have been affected. Nestlé announced a 4,000-headcount reduction in manufacturing and supply chains, though it remains unclear whether this will impact its Gaffney, South Carolina, facility [Will Nestlé layoffs impact Sou...]. Volvo temporarily halted production at its Lowcountry plant due to parts shortages, though operations resumed shortly after [Volvo temporarily suspends pro...]. According to USAFacts, 1.0% of South Carolina’s workforce was laid off or discharged in July 2025—a rate consistent with ongoing job losses across the manufacturing sector [How many people are laid off i...].

Worse still, the $1.6 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery plant planned for Florence County—one of the most anticipated economic development projects in the Southeast—has been on hold since June 2025. The company cited “policy and market uncertainty,” including federal tariffs on critical battery components and shifting EV incentives, as key factors in halting construction [Nebraskans lament Tyson decisi...]. This project was expected to create between 1,600 and 1,700 high-paying jobs, and its suspension represents a profound setback for regional economic growth.

Congressional Inaction and Policy Hypocrisy

Instead of advocating for policies to stabilize South Carolina’s manufacturing economy and prevent large-scale layoffs, U.S. Representative Russell Fry has publicly praised the very federal actions contributing to economic instability. Fry celebrated recent tariff policies as a “major win” on national news, despite these same policies being cited by companies as reasons for delays and shutdowns [Nebraskans lament Tyson decisi...]. This contradiction highlights a disconnect between congressional rhetoric and the real-world economic struggles faced by South Carolinians.

A full trade war, driven by aggressive and unpredictable tariffs, could cost South Carolina:

• 86,000 jobs

• $7.5 billion in lost wages

• $15.2 billion in Gross Domestic Product
  [Layoffs so far in 2025 highest...]

These losses would disproportionately impact the state’s manufacturing, agricultural, and export-dependent industries.

The Case for John Vincent: A Plan for Economic Stability and Worker Protection

John Vincent, a Navy Command Master Chief with 20 years of service, is running for Congress to restore leadership grounded in accountability, stability, and long-term planning. Vincent’s platform offers a clear alternative to the current economic chaos:

✅ Eliminate random, ever-changing tariffs that destabilize supply chains and discourage investment in American manufacturing.
✅ Introduce a national cap on mass layoffs, modeled after California and Washington’s 33% threshold, to protect single-employer towns from economic collapse.
✅ Expand employer tax credits to incentivize wage increases and worker retraining during transitions.
✅ Secure fair market access for South Carolina’s farmers and manufacturers to ensure global competitiveness.
✅ Rebuild infrastructure and protect coastal and rural communities vital to the state’s tourism and agricultural industries.

Vincent’s military background instilled a disciplined, mission-focused approach to leadership—qualities desperately needed in a time of economic uncertainty.

Call to Action: Demand Better Leadership

When families are choosing between prescriptions and gas, when veterans wait months for care, and when small businesses struggle to survive, partisan grandstanding is not leadership—it is failure.

John Vincent is ready to serve.