US Layoffs — February 2014
The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers filed 222 WARN Act notices in February 2014, impacting roughly 24,810 workers — representing a notable rise over January and up 48% versus February 2013. Filings came from 29 states and territories, with an average of 112 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18 | 3,003 |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 2,945 |
| California | 54 | 2,803 |
| Florida | 14 | 2,712 |
| Idaho | 3 | 2,309 |
| New York | 32 | 1,423 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 1,127 |
| Georgia | 6 | 863 |
| Utah | 2 | 796 |
| Maryland | 5 | 765 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 720 |
| Mississippi | 5 | 708 |
| Ohio | 5 | 591 |
| Kansas | 5 | 439 |
| Indiana | 4 | 431 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 406 |
| Missouri | 2 | 404 |
| Virginia | 4 | 386 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 384 |
| Washington | 7 | 345 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 263 |
| Maine | 1 | 250 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 168 |
| Iowa | 5 | 164 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 124 |
| Oregon | 1 | 87 |
| Michigan | 1 | 84 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 58 |
| Arizona | 1 | 52 |
Texas led the nation with 3,003 workers affected across 18 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (2,945 workers) and California (2,803 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60 | 6,189 |
| Professional Services | 16 | 4,688 |
| Information & Technology | 33 | 4,520 |
| Retail | 25 | 2,222 |
| Finance & Insurance | 16 | 1,707 |
| Healthcare | 24 | 1,219 |
| Transportation | 6 | 598 |
| Mining & Energy | 1 | 510 |
| Government | 4 | 340 |
| Utilities | 5 | 319 |
The Manufacturing sector led the way in workforce reductions with 6,189 workers across 60 notices. In a parallel development, Professional Services reported 4,688 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Layoff | 39 | 3,209 |
| Closure | 36 | 2,868 |
Closures accounted for 12% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximus | Boise, Idaho | 1,600 | |
| General Dynamics IT | Houston, Texas | 1,195 | |
| Digital Risk | Miramar, Florida | 744 | |
| General Dynamics Information Technology | Lynn Haven, Florida | 726 | |
| Verizon Wireless | Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania | 626 | |
| General Dynamics IT | Sandy, Utah | 621 | |
| Macy's | Atlanta, Georgia | 600 | |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals | East Hanover, New Jersey | 561 | |
| Horsehead | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 510 | |
| Verizon Wireless BGCO | Warrendale, Pennsylvania | 433 |
The single largest action involved Maximus in Boise, Idaho, reporting 1,600 affected workers. General Dynamics IT followed with 1,195 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.
The data underscores 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 February 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.