SK Battery to cut 958 jobs at Georgia plant, WARN shows

SK Battery America filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification posted March 6 showing it will conduct a permanent reduction in force that affects 958 employees at its Commerce, Georgia battery plant, with the layoffs listed to begin May 6, 2026. The notice was filed by Chuck Moore, the plant’s human resources chief, and covers roughly 37 percent of the facility’s workforce; about 1,600 workers are expected to remain.

Company statements said Friday marked the last working day for the impacted employees and that those workers will be paid through May 6. An SK Americas spokesperson, Joe Guy Collier, said the workforce reduction “was made to align operations to market conditions.” Collier added, “SK Battery America remains committed to Georgia and to building a robust U.S. supply chain for advanced battery manufacturing. We are pursuing a range of future customers, including the Battery Energy Storage System arena.”

The plant, which opened in January 2022 after a $2.6 billion investment, supplied batteries for vehicles including the Ford F-150 Lightning and was a supplier to other automakers. Ford announced plans to cancel the fully electric version of the truck in December, and SK previously ended a partnership with Ford after the two companies had invested $11.4 billion together in joint U.S. battery plants.

The immediate scale of the cuts has raised local and legal alarm. Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said, “Let’s be clear: these were battery manufacturing jobs and now they’re gone. As predicted, Trump’s war on electric vehicles is hurting Georgia’s economy. We were booming and building new plants. Now Georgians are losing their jobs.” City of Commerce and Jackson County leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The layoffs carry public health and equity implications for a largely rural region that benefited from the plant’s construction. Losing nearly 1,000 jobs threatens household incomes, employer-linked benefits and the budgets of small businesses that serve plant employees. Health providers and community organizations in Jackson County may face increased demand for mental health services, food assistance and subsidized care as displaced workers and their families navigate gaps in income and insurance.

A class action law firm, Strauss Borrelli PLLC, announced an investigation into whether SK Battery America complied with the federal WARN Act’s 60-day notice requirement. The firm said, “We are investigating whether SKBA failed to provide at least 60 days’ notice before laying off 958 employees and, therefore, violated the WARN Act.” The firm invited affected employees to contact them at 872.263.1100 or sam@straussborrelli.com and noted that employees who are owed notice may be entitled to 60 days of pay and benefits under the law.

Policy observers say the Commerce layoffs highlight the fragility of U.S. battery manufacturing as automakers recalibrate electrification plans. The sudden reduction underscores how shifts in corporate contracts and national policy can cascade into local economic and health harms. For workers, the WARN filing sets a timeline for pay and potential legal remedies, while community leaders will need to coordinate workforce transition support, unemployment services and health access for displaced families.