US Layoffs — August 2013
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 214 WARN Act notices in August 2013, displacing an estimated 23,653 workers — signaling an acceleration from July and up 33% versus August 2012. Filings came from 27 states and territories, with an average of 111 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 55 | 4,536 |
| New York | 33 | 3,743 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 2,512 |
| Ohio | 9 | 2,391 |
| Texas | 18 | 1,293 |
| Missouri | 6 | 1,275 |
| Florida | 11 | 1,167 |
| Alabama | 4 | 1,010 |
| South Carolina | 5 | 942 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 916 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 717 |
| Michigan | 5 | 577 |
| Georgia | 6 | 439 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 415 |
| Arizona | 4 | 339 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 317 |
| Oregon | 2 | 202 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 154 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 147 |
| Kansas | 3 | 127 |
| Indiana | 1 | 119 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 77 |
| Washington DC | 1 | 73 |
| Utah | 1 | 65 |
| Virginia | 1 | 50 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 32 |
| Iowa | 3 | 18 |
California led the nation with 4,536 workers affected across 55 notices , followed by New York (3,743 workers) and Kentucky (2,512 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 50 | 5,530 |
| Finance & Insurance | 27 | 4,853 |
| Healthcare | 34 | 3,910 |
| Information & Technology | 32 | 2,559 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 761 |
| Utilities | 3 | 690 |
| Construction | 2 | 642 |
| Retail | 8 | 470 |
| Government | 5 | 404 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 394 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 5,530 workers across 50 notices. Notably, Finance & Insurance reported 4,853 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 53 | 6,289 |
| Layoff | 36 | 5,274 |
Closures accounted for 27% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interfaith Medical Center | Brooklyn, New York | 1,405 | Closure |
| Bank of America | Beachwood, Ohio | 997 | |
| Ormet | Hannibal, Ohio | 901 | |
| Wells Fargo | Alabama | 841 | Layoff |
| Paramedics Plus | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 717 | |
| Century Aluminum of Kentucky GP "Hawesville Smelter" | Hawesville, Kentucky | 679 | Layoff |
| [Unknown - KY] | Hawesville, Kentucky | 679 | Layoff |
| Southern California Edison | San Clemente, California | 600 | |
| Bank of America | Fresno, California | 543 | |
| Shaw Project Services Group | Aiken, South Carolina | 485 | Layoff |
The most significant filing came from Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, reporting 1,405 affected workers. Bank of America followed with 997 workers.
Trend & Outlook
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in August 2013. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.