Laid off from International Paper.
International Paper has been closing mills whole, 1,100 jobs across the Savannah region in 2025, Georgetown South Carolina in two waves, four more facilities named for 2026. Mill towns absorb what diversified cities shrug off.
At a glance
What's been reported about International Paper severance packages
- About 1,100 roles · Savannah-area closures, 2025
- 18, jobs totaling 3,079 · WARN filings since 2025, our tracker
- Nearly 700, then 126 · Georgetown, SC, late 2024 then 2026
- Severance and outplacement, terms not published · Company-stated support
Recent International Paper layoffs
Four more facilities named for 2026
International Paper announced shutdowns and layoffs at four US facilities for 2026, continuing a consolidation that closed the Savannah and Riceboro, Georgia operations, about 1,100 positions, in late 2025 and the Georgetown, South Carolina container plant.
Previous rounds
International Paper layoff history
International Paper is consolidating its fiber network around fewer, bigger mills, and the closures land as complete site shutdowns. The Savannah-region closures took about 1,100 jobs in phases, Georgia lawmakers convened over the community fallout, and the pattern extended into 2026 with four more named facilities. Our tracker holds 18 filings totaling 3,079 jobs since 2025.
Mill work is union-dense and trade-specific. Many affected roles carry USW representation, where separation terms, recall rights, and plant-closing benefits were bargained, and where the contract, not company policy, sets the floor. Hourly and salaried employees at the same site can exit under entirely different terms.
If you're affected at an IP mill, three tracks run at once. The union contract governs represented workers' terms, so the local is the first call. Trade Adjustment-style retraining and dislocated-worker programs activate for mill closures through state workforce offices, and the WARN notice date starts that clock. And mill towns' housing math matters, relocation to another IP facility or a competitor's mill often beats waiting for equivalent local work that may not come back.
Previous International Paper layoff rounds
2026, announced · Four facilities named for shutdown or reduction, including the Georgetown container plant's 126 roles from May
Terms not published.
Late 2025, Georgia · Savannah containerboard mill, Savannah packaging, Riceboro mill and timber operations, about 1,100 hourly and salaried positions, phased through September
The company said it offered severance and outplacement assistance to eligible employees. Amounts not published.
Late 2024, South Carolina · The Georgetown pulp and paper mill, nearly 700 employees, in the region's defining industrial loss
Terms not published.
How International Paper has compared
Mill closures are total in a way office layoffs aren't. When a containerboard mill shuts, every trade on the site goes at once, and the local labor market can't absorb hundreds of specialized industrial workers. The relocation question deserves more weight here than in any white-collar cut we track.
International Paper layoff and severance questions
What severance does International Paper pay in mill closures?
The company said it offered severance and outplacement to eligible employees in the Georgia closures without publishing amounts. Union-represented workers exit under bargained plant-closing terms, which the local can explain precisely. Individual agreements control for salaried staff.
Do union workers get different terms in IP closures?
Often, yes. USW-represented mills carry negotiated separation, recall, and plant-closing provisions that operate independently of company severance policy. If you're represented, the contract is the authority, and the local is where to start.
What help exists for laid-off mill workers beyond severance?
Full mill closures typically qualify affected workers for dislocated-worker programs through state workforce agencies, covering retraining and job-search support. Our state pages for Georgia and South Carolina carry unemployment specifics, and the WARN notice period is the time to enroll, not after.
Where do I file for unemployment after a International Paper layoff?
In the state where you worked, not where the company is headquartered. International Paper's biggest U.S. hubs are Georgia, South Carolina, Texas. Severance usually doesn't block you from filing, and benefits run from your filing date, so file the same week.
Should I sign the severance agreement right away?
First pin down how much review time you actually have. If you're 40 or older, federal law gives you 21 days to consider an agreement that waives age claims, 45 in a group layoff, and a waiver signed under a shorter deadline can be invalid. If you're under 40, no federal window applies and the deadline in your packet may be real, so confirm it in writing and ask for more time if you need it. Use whatever window you have to read the release terms, especially non-disparagement and no-lawsuit clauses, and don't stall past a real deadline, because offers can be withdrawn.
Can I collect unemployment if I got severance from International Paper?
Usually yes, though some states delay benefits until severance pay periods end, and lump sums are treated differently than salary continuation. Check your state's rules on our state benefit pages, and file immediately either way so your claim date is locked in.
What to do after being laid off from International Paper
- File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Benefits run from your filing date, and severance usually doesn't block you. International Paper's biggest hubs: Georgia, South Carolina, Texas. Somewhere else? Every state is here.
- Find out in writing how long you have to review the severance agreement. At 40 or older, federal law guarantees 21 days, 45 in group layoffs. Under 40, the packet's deadline may be real, so ask for time rather than assume. Read our severance breakdown first. The clauses matter more than the number.
- Mind the health insurance window. Losing coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and an ACA plan usually beats unsubsidized COBRA. Compare your options before the employer coverage lapses.
- Get your real runway number. Severance plus savings divided by reality. The calculator takes five minutes.
- Know which clocks are already running. Severance review windows, COBRA election, visa grace periods, and 401(k) rollovers all run on federal deadlines that started at termination. All five deadlines are here.