US Layoffs — January 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers posted 260 WARN Act notices in January 2014, affecting an estimated 23,448 workers — reflecting a significant uptick compared to December and down 9% versus January 2013. Filings came from 30 states and territories, with an average of 90 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 99 | 6,279 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 2,300 |
| New York | 35 | 1,709 |
| Texas | 14 | 1,319 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 1,241 |
| Ohio | 6 | 1,121 |
| Michigan | 4 | 985 |
| Florida | 6 | 915 |
| Mississippi | 8 | 760 |
| Arizona | 6 | 681 |
| Kansas | 5 | 589 |
| Georgia | 7 | 549 |
| Maryland | 5 | 541 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 505 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 448 |
| Idaho | 2 | 440 |
| Virginia | 5 | 439 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 418 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 375 |
| Missouri | 3 | 344 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 314 |
| Indiana | 3 | 269 |
| Utah | 2 | 187 |
| Washington | 5 | 166 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 162 |
| Oregon | 1 | 119 |
| Iowa | 1 | 93 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 68 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 63 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 49 |
California led the nation with 6,279 workers affected across 99 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,300 workers) and New York (1,709 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 67 | 7,248 |
| Healthcare | 47 | 3,982 |
| Information & Technology | 26 | 2,640 |
| Retail | 24 | 1,776 |
| Professional Services | 9 | 1,393 |
| Transportation | 13 | 1,328 |
| Finance & Insurance | 17 | 723 |
| Accommodation & Food | 10 | 721 |
| Other | 2 | 448 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3 | 408 |
The Manufacturing sector saw the heaviest impact with 7,248 workers across 67 notices. On a related front, Healthcare reported 3,982 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 53 | 5,019 |
| Layoff | 37 | 1,826 |
Closures accounted for 21% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mary's Hospital | Passaic, New Jersey | 1,179 | |
| Emanual Medical Center | Turlock, California | 1,166 | |
| Uss-Posco | Pittsburg, California | 690 | |
| Coleman Natural Foods | Fredricksburg, Pennsylvania | 658 | |
| FJC Security Services | Jersey City, New Jersey | 594 | |
| Lockheed Martin | Akron, Ohio | 506 | |
| Heritage Home Group/Lane Furniture | Saltillo, Mississippi | 480 | Closure |
| Teleperformance | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 430 | Closure |
| Center Partners | Idaho Falls, Idaho | 400 | |
| Health Management Associates | Naples, Florida | 395 |
The largest notice was filed by St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, New Jersey, reporting 1,179 affected workers. Emanual Medical Center followed with 1,166 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The trends suggest a mixed picture for the nation's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in January 2014. 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.