March brought renewed manufacturing layoffs.
At the same time, other companies are bracing for continued fallout from the Trump administration’s tariff policies, which could lead to more job losses. Steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs is already cutting jobs due to lower automotive demand sparked by tariff policies.
While the industry grew in February with production and demand up over the previous month, economists noted that much of the increase was a result of companies pushing forward orders ahead of upcoming tariffs.
Here are some of the major manufacturing layoffs that occurred in March.
Siemens cutting 8% of global workforce
Siemens is cutting 5,600 jobs around the globe as the company trims its struggling automation business. The cuts include 2,600 jobs in its digital industries segment in Germany, where the company is headquartered, as well as 450 jobs globally from its electric vehicle charging business, according to a March 18 press release.
The company cited "muted demand" in Germany and China, and that as a result, Siemens needed to make "capacity adjustments."
Siemens did not specify if any job cuts would occur in the U.S., but said in its release that the measures would occur by the end of 2027.
Wolfspeed plans another 180 job cuts in North Carolina
The chipmaker disclosed plans to cut 180 materials operations jobs from its Durham and Siler City, North Carolina, locations in a March 6 security filing. The move is an update to previously announced plans in January to cut costs. Wolfspeed, which also disclosed its target fiscal year 2026 and FY 2027 capital expenditure plans in the same filing, said in the document that "the Company plans to take aggressive steps to strengthen its balance sheet."
The announcement follows a series of closures and layoffs at the chipmaker and offers more clarity regarding the number of job cuts impacting the Durham facility. In September, Wolfspeed announced plans to close its carbide wafer production facility in Durham, and in November, said it aimed to cut 20% of its workforce and close multiple sites amid slow EV adoption and weak industrial and energy sectors.
Milgard Windows and Doors closing California plant
Window maker Milgard Manufacturing, which owns Milgard Windows and Doors, plans to close its Ventura County, California, factory and lay off 397 workers, according to a California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice. The layoffs will take effect May 27.
Milgard ranked as the sixth-largest employer in the city of Simi Valley, California, according to a 2024 city annual report.
Window manufacturer MI Windows and Doors bought Milgard Windows and Doors in 2019, forming one of the country's largest window makers. The deal also created a network of more than 10 factories across the U.S.
After factory fire, SPS Technologies cuts 250 workers
Aerospace contractor SPS Technologies is laying off 251 workers from its Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, factory, according to a state WARN notice.
The cuts, which will take effect May 18, come roughly a month after a factory fire destroyed the plant and pushed nearby Abington Township to declare a Disaster Emergency. Residents and business owners have since filed a class-action lawsuit against SPS over its alleged negligence that led to the fire. Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as medical monitoring for those exposed to toxic fumes.
On March 14, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairman Neil Makhija sent a letter to SPS' parent company Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffet, urging him to rebuild the factory and offer longer-term temporary pay and benefits to affected employees.
