Ultium Cells is moving forward with a mass layoff at its Lordstown, Ohio, battery plant, impacting more than 1,000 hourly workers. The company said the workforce reduction is necessary to support ongoing operations at the facility.
Ultium Cells in Lordstown Initiates Lays Off
In late 2025, Ultium Cells announced that workforce reductions would be necessary at its Lordstown battery manufacturing plant and decided to move forward with its plan for a mass layoff. Located at Tod Avenue SW, the facility is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution.
The company manufactures battery cells used in the automaker’s EV models. A slowdown in EV sales has contributed to company losses, prompting the decision to move forward with the layoffs.
The layoff involves over a thousand hourly employees, mainly from the cell production department. While the majority of the employees will only be temporarily laid off, some will be on an indefinite layoff. Meanwhile, to mitigate the impact of the layoff, the employees will be eligible to receive state unemployment compensation and/or Supplemental Unemployment Benefits in accordance
with the existing collective bargaining agreements.
The company will also work with the state’s Adult and Dislocated Worker Program to find suitable alternatives for affected employees. While the layoff process begins, the company will focus on bringing necessary upgrades to the facility. These upgrades are to provide flexibility for future production.
Underlying Factors Behind the Decision
Ultium Cells had to make this decision due to the slower EV sales, which do not meet the company’s expectations. It has resulted in the company facing losses, where they had high expectations. It is one of the biggest reasons for the layoff.
The shifting fuel-efficiency regulations and uncertainty surrounding federal EV tax incentives as contributing factors. Thus, it influenced the layoff of more than 1,300 employees.
Breakdown of Affected Positions
Ultium Cells has planned the layoff of 1,334 hourly employees. It includes employees who are in the cell production, GSC-Materials, and quality departments. The layoff is going to affect a majority of employees in the cell production department.
A total of 1,090 battery assembly operators, 142 quality operators, and 102 material operators will be laid off. Among these, 850 employees will be laid off temporarily, while the remaining layoffs are indefinite. These numbers are included in the notice provided to government officials by the company.
The notice also states that employees do not have bumping rights. This means senior employees will not be able to displace junior workers to retain their positions. The layoffs come amid broader uncertainty in the EV market and ongoing shifts across the U.S. manufacturing sector.
