These Missouri businesses laid off more than 5,000 employees in mass layoffs in 2024
Missouri employees lost 5,234 jobs in 2024 due to mass layoffs and work site closures, according to state data on federally mandated WARN notices.
That’s higher than Kansas’ total of 3,542 from 12 layoff notifications throughout the year, but lower than the 6,692 layoffs in Missouri in 2023.
In 2024, employers issued 39 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications in Missouri under a 1988 federal law that requires them to notify employees prior to large layoffs and worksite closures.
Of those, 12 notifications impacted Jackson, Clay or Platte counties, totaling 2,162 layoffs in the Kansas City area.
Here’s a closer look at which local employers issued layoff notices to Kansas City area workers.
Which employers laid off the most workers in the Kansas City area in 2024?
The largest layoff that received a WARN notification in the Kansas City area this year was from GEHA, or the Government Employees Health Association.
This nonprofit provides health insurance for federal government employees and is the namesake of the field at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. The company announced layoffs of 453 people in Lee’s Summit on Oct. 21.
Close behind was automotive manufacturing firm Yanfeng, which announced it was laying off 444 people from its Riverside plant in September. Other layoffs from the auto manufacturing industry included Adient with 172 layoffs, Martinrea with 144 and Sodecia with 111 temporary layoffs — these employees are expected to return to work July 1, 2025.
Other employees that laid off more than 100 people in Jackson, Clay or Platte counties included:
Cherokee Nation Federal Consulting, a tribal-owned consulting firm for government contractors
Signature Psychiatric Hospital, which ran psychiatric facilities at North Kansas City Hospital and Liberty Hospital
Student Transportation of America, a school bus contractor with a location in Kansas City
International Paper, a paper and packaging company with a location in Kansas City
Where did the largest layoffs occur in Missouri?
The largest mass layoff announced with a WARN notice in 2024 was from aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which announced Nov. 20 that it will lay off 692 employees around the state in the first week of 2025. Kansas City will be among the areas affected.
Missouri Prime Beef Packers also announced a plant closure in Polk County in February 2024, impacting 335 workers.
Several more layoffs beyond the Kansas City area also came from the school transportation industry. Missouri Central School Bus in the St. Louis area laid off 332 people after terminating its contract with St. Louis Public Schools over an incident in February wherein a Black mechanic says he found a noose at his workstation, leading to a bus driver walkout.
First Student in Jefferson City also laid off 105 people in June. Combined, that means at least 586 employees of school bus contracting companies lost their jobs in Missouri in 2024. Other leading industries for layoffs included manufacturing, health care and food services.
Do you have more questions about labor or employment in Missouri or Kansas? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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