Laid off from SK Battery America.

What SK Battery America layoffs have meant for employees

If you were among the workers let go in March 2026, the cut came in two steps. Work ended on March 6, the day SK Battery America filed its notice with the state, but Georgia's WARN entry puts the first date of separation at May 6, and the company told Manufacturing Dive that for those 60 days the people cut would stay on pay and benefits without coming in to work. If a form asks for a last day worked or a separation date, the two aren't the same here. The notice itself was filed by human resources chief Chuck Moore, the Associated Press reported. No union represented any of the affected employees, according to Georgia's entry. Spokesperson Joe Guy Collier told Manufacturing Dive the company would work with affected workers during the transition and that the reduction complies with WARN guidelines. Every affected job was at the one worksite the entry lists, 1760 SK Blvd. in Commerce, in Jackson County, and Georgia unemployment benefits explains how to file a claim in the state.

For anyone who was also furloughed in 2023, the two actions differ in kind. That furlough was unpaid leave for an unfixed period, KED Global reported, relaying the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's November 2023 report, and a spokesman described the decision as one of the company's efforts "to optimize line operations and workforce management with flexibility as the EV industry is adjusting its pace of growth." In 2026 the company's statement to FOX 5 Atlanta called the cut "the difficult decision to reduce our workforce," and Georgia's entry files it as a permanent layoff. The furlough left the job in place without pay for a stretch, and the 2026 layoff ended the job.

The plant's headcount has moved with the electric-vehicle market in both directions. SK opened the $2.6 billion plant in January 2022, the AP noted, and Manufacturing Dive reported that the company had announced plans in 2023 to add several hundred workers to meet rising demand, going past its goal of 2,600 employees. Cuts came that same year, after years of rapid expansion, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, calling them what may be the Georgia EV sector's first significant loss. By the March 2026 filing, the worksite's count was close to that goal of 2,600. The 2026 layoff came in a cooling market, as the press described it, with Manufacturing Dive pointing to slowing demand for EV batteries and drying federal incentives and the AP to automakers' changing electrification plans and uncertain consumer demand.

Since the cut, the company has pointed its plans toward energy storage. Its statement to FOX 5 Atlanta, which also thanked employees for their contributions, put the energy storage market among the future customers it was chasing and said SK Battery America "remains committed to Georgia and to building a robust U.S. supply chain for advanced battery manufacturing." Christian Bokich, who directs its communications, later told North Atlanta Star that "energy storage is a strategic priority," citing strong demand for batteries that support the U.S. grid, and the company described its focus as batteries for both storage systems and electric vehicles. SK was also a supplier to Volkswagen when the cut came, the AP reported, and a Ford spokesperson told the AP the automaker couldn't comment on supplier personnel actions. For people still on the line, that mix of storage and vehicle work is where the company says the plant is headed.