WI Job Losses: These 10 Companies Have Highest Layoffs In 2025

MILWAUKEE, WI — The announcement in September that Saputo Cheese USA will eliminate 240 jobs at its Suamico facility adds to a year of steady job losses across Wisconsin’s manufacturing and education sectors.

Despite those cuts, Wisconsin’s job market remains healthy, with unemployment holding at 3.4 percent in August, below the national average and near pre-pandemic lows.

Still, a series of WARN notices filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) this year shows pressure in industries tied to printing, food production, and transportation.

Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, employers must provide at least 60 days’ notice before large-scale layoffs or plant closures. These filings represent only a portion of total job losses in Wisconsin, since smaller layoffs often fall below the reporting threshold.

Below are the 10 largest layoffs reported in Wisconsin so far in 2025, based on WARN notices filed through October.

1. Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC — 744 Jobs

Air Wisconsin Airlines has filed multiple WARN notices covering 744 employees between its Appleton and Milwaukee operations. Layoffs began in March and will continue into fall 2025 as the regional carrier scales back routes.

2. Saputo Cheese USA Inc. — 240 Jobs

Saputo Cheese USA said it will eliminate 240 positions at its Suamico plant in Brown County. The company clarified that layoffs will occur in phases between November and December 2025 as part of a broader restructuring of its cheese production network.

3. Northland College — 133 Jobs

Northland College in Ashland filed a WARN notice in April, reporting 133 job cuts as the liberal arts school faced severe financial strain. The layoffs followed an earlier notice for 112 employees, later revised upward as the closure plan expanded.

4. ORBIS Corporation — 109 Jobs

ORBIS Corporation in Menasha notified the state in January that 109 workers would be laid off starting in March. The company manufactures reusable plastic packaging products and supplies.

5. Sheridan Random Lake — 104 Jobs

Sheridan Random Lake, a commercial printing company in Sheboygan County, will close its Random Lake facility, cutting 104 positions by late November 2025.

6. Milwaukee Job Corps Center — 104 Jobs

Milwaukee Job Corps Center, operated by Horizons Youth Services, announced in June that it would lay off 104 employees following a contract transition. The cuts took effect in early summer 2025.

7. Oxbo International Corporation — 68 Jobs

Agricultural machinery manufacturer Oxbo International, based in Clear Lake, announced in March it would cut 68 jobs effective June 2025.

8. Wausau Equipment Company, LLC — 67 Jobs

Wausau Equipment, a snow removal and construction machinery manufacturer in New Berlin, filed an October WARN notice for 67 employees as it prepares to close its plant in December 2025.

9. Discovery Energy (Rehlko) — 66 Jobs

Discovery Energy LLC d/b/a Rehlko said it will lay off 66 employees at its Saukville facility in Ozaukee County. The layoffs take effect in August 2025.

10. Milwaukee Forge LLC — 60 Jobs

Milwaukee Forge first announced 67 layoffs in June, later revising the number to 60 after accounting for transfers. The company, which forges steel components, cited market slowdowns in its August update.